Feb 23, 2020

Grain-Free Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

By Ruth Elnekave, CNP

Yield: one loaf

Grain-free, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-free, Paleo

Grain-free Paleo Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Moist, tender, just perfectly sweet banana bread with a hint of spice. The kind you often crave (and want to feel great about eating) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The kind that makes next level French toast and top-with-anything cake toast (seriously, anything: nut butter, jam, avocado, cream cheese... go crazy!). This is the kind of banana bread that everyone needs in their life, so it's why we developed this recipe.

Gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and paleo-friendly, and 100% nourishing decadence. It's the ultimate "base" banana bread recipe, a canvas for your unique creativity. Sub the tahini for nut butter, fold in JOYÀ chocolate chunks, coconut, chopped nuts or seeds, change up the spices or nut flour. The only absolute rule is to make sure that you've already got a new bunch of bananas ripening when your loaf comes out of the oven. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups (120 g) almond flour (or sub any part with an equal amount of hazelnut flour)
  • ¼ cup (40 g) cassava flour* 
  • 2 ½ tbsp (15 g) coconut flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 large eggs (ideally organic and pastured or free-range)
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas (about 350 g), mashed
  • 2 ½ tbsp (50 g) unpasteurized honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp (30 g) tahini (or other runny nut or seed butter of your choice)
  • 1 tbsp (12 g) virgin coconut oil, melted (or replace with an extra 1 tablespoon (15 g) tahini)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Optional fold-ins: 2-4 bars (60-120 g) JOYÀ Functional Chocolate (chopped), ½ cup chopped nuts, ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut

Notes:

* If you don't need the banana bread to be grain-free/paleo, you can alternatively sub an equal amount of a gluten-free flour such as oat, buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, millet or teff.

Grain-free Paleo Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Brush a 9×5 inch or 8×5 inch loaf pan with oil and line with parchment paper. 
  2. In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, cassava flour, coconut flour, spices, salt and baking soda and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
  3. Add the eggs to a large bowl and with an electric hand beater or stand mixer, beat until well blended, 20 seconds. Add the bananas, honey (or maple syrup), tahini, coconut oil and vanilla and continue to beat on medium-high until completely smooth and emulsified, another 30 seconds. 
  4. Add the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture and beat on low just until the flour is incorporated and no dry spots remain.
  5. Add any mix-ins (if using) and with a spatula, stir to combine.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.
  7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out dry, about 55-65 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then cool completely out of pan on a cooling rack.

Pro Tip: If making in advance, wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Also great to freeze for a snack on demand — just slice before freezing and toast when you’re craving a treat!

Ruth Elnekave, Founder and CEO of JOYÀ
by Ruth Elnekave, CNP

Ruth Elnekave is a Toronto-based chef, holistic nutritionist, culinary instructor, recovering corporate lawyer and founder of JOYÀ. Her projects are fuelled by one main goal: to spread the pure joy and wellbeing experienced when sharing and savouring delicious, real food.

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