WGN’s Dean Richards shares his recipe for 3 different types of banana breads: Chocolate Lo-Carb, Hi-Protein Lo-Carb and Classic.
Hi-Protein, Lo-Carb Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tbsp sifted coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener or sugar
- 1/4 cup golden Flaxseed meal (ground flax seed)
- 5 large eggs, at room temp and whisked
- 5 frozen small banana (thawed or heated, then mashed in a bowl. Keep the juice as well)
- 1.5 tsp Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tbsp melted clarified butter or refined coconut oil, divided. Non dairy butter may also be used.
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon, plus extra for topping
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (more if desired)
- optional topping – toasted chopped nuts and/or banana slices (omit banana topping if needed)
- Extra melted coconut oil or butter for brushing to top of the bread
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.
2. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and flaxseed meal. Be sure to remove any clumps that might be in the almond flour or coconut flour.
3. Add the sugar, turmeric, and cinnamon. Whisk again.
4. In another small bowl, whisk the eggs. Combine the eggs with the flour mixture, then add in the mashed banana with the liquid and gently combine.
5. Add in the apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and melted butter and mix gently to combine.
6. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan. Optional: Add sliced banana (1/2 banana) on top. Brush with melted butter and sugar free syrup, pinch of turmeric and cinnamon, if desired.
7. Place bread pan in preheated oven on center rack for 35- 45 minutes. If the center is not set, then cover with foil, rotate pan, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
CHOCOLATE, LO-CARB BANANA BREAD
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe medium bananas (ones with LOTS of brown spots), mashed (1 ¼ cups mashed banana)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups packed fine blanched almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (dairy free if desired), plus 2 tablespoons extra chocolate chips for sprinkling on top
- Fancy sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract until well combined. Add in the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50 minutes-65 minutes or until the tester comes out almost clean in the middle of the bread.
4. Cool bread for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Once cool, cut into 12 slices. The bread is best the next day (as are all banana breads!) Top with your favorite nut butter or butter and sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Classic Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 2/3 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 mashed bananas medium size
- 1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
1. In a small bowl mix together the oil, sugar, maple syrup, egg, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, ground flax seed, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in all the wet ingredients from the first bowl. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened, but do not over stir.
4. Spray a 9" x 5" loaf pan with non-stick pan spray and sprinkle with a little flour. Pour banana bread batter into pan and set aside.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. After oven is heated, place ban of banana bread batter into oven on the middle rack. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and finish cooling on a wire rack before slicing into 1/2" slices.