BANANA BREAD WITH PECANS

No matter how many times I make this, I love it just as much as the first time I took a bite of this moist, delicious and flavorful banana bread.

Bananas are one of those fruits (fun fact, they're both a fruit and not a fruit, depending on who you ask...while the banana plant is called a tree, it's actually a succulent stem same as a cactus and not wood, yet the banana itself can be considered a fruit because it does contain seeds...extra credit fun fact, bananas are also a long lost cousin of ginger) especially if you have kids, that you buy in bulk in high hopes they'll make your kids happy and get eaten before they turn into a sad leaky mush on your kitchen counter but somehow those hopes always seem to turn into the same banana mush you were hoping to avoid in the first place. Or is this just my case?

Going to the grocery store to get bananas for four kids always feels like taking a chance on that lonely slot machine in a casino. Are they going to eat them? Will I have to throw them out after they are not just past their prime but are clearly inedible? I always feel bad throwing away bananas, might be because we didn't have them a in communist USSR, they were a luxury beyond your wildest dreams. They were nowhere to be found yet you'd sometimes see them on TV or pictures of far away exotic lands.

With this leave no banana behind mindset, I decided to let my guilt be my guide and not throw another banana out in my household. I prefer throwing out the already made cookies/breads/pancakes that were trial and error recipe experiments, like a mad baking scientist whose wild experiment went terribly awry. (Ha-ha-ha) Happens to the best of us. Same set of hands, same kitchen but different day and mood can lead to different results.

This recipe on the other hand has always been consistently great. Moist, sweet, rich, filling- it draws you in till the last bite. It seems like it miraculously disappears from the baking pan even before it touches the cooling rack. Bonus points - it's also not messy, as it doesn't crumble too badly, major win with 4 boys!

Bananas are rich in vitamins B6, C and folate as well as minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium. Potassium and magnesium, highly overlooked but essential minerals for humans, are one of the first we lose under stress.

You can skip the pecans if you're not a fan. My family consumes every kind of nut available, you might say we're nuts for nuts. I always have several large bags of walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts in my fridge (to prolong shelf life and prevent them from going stale) that I am determined to put on top of pretty much everything. Healthy fats, protein, micronutrients, etc. So, yes, more pecans please!

You can also whip up this recipe in a matter of minutes (minus the baking part) on a low setting to make sure you are mixing dough and not blending a cocktail. After everything is mixed, add chopped nuts. That's it, the hard part is over. Now you are ready to bake.

Bon appetite!

Prep Time5

Cook Time55

COOLING TIME1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Keyword: almond flour, banana, banana bread, easy, gluten-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, fiber, nutritious dessert, healthy brussels sprouts, maple syrup, no sugar, pecans, ripe bananas

Servings: people

Calories: 303kcal

Equipment

High-speed blender optional

Ingredients

3 eggs
3 bananas very ripe
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup or dates syrup
2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP butter ghee or coconut or avocado oil
1/2 cup pecans chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a small bread pan with parchment paper and spray with oil.
In a medium bowl, mash bananas and mix in eggs, vanilla extract, salt and sweetener of your choice,
Add baking soda, mix and gradually add almond flour. Combine until smooth.
(Optional) Add chopped pecans.
OR - Combine all the ingredients (except pecans) in a blender and mix using medium speed. When done, add pecans and stir.
Transfer to the lined and oiled pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes, until brown and set and a toothpick inserted in a center comes out dry, Turn the oven off and without opening the oven door, let the bread sit in the oven for additional 15 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for about 1 hour.

Video

Nutrition