Nutty Chocolate Banana Bread
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 2 loaves
INGREDIENTS:
  • Dry
  • 2 cups almond meal
  • 2 cups sprouted buckwheat flour (or any preferred whole grain flout)
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped finely
  • ½ cup chopped dark chocolate (or dark chocolate chips)
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Wet
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • 4 large bananas
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon cooking molasses
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Topping
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 banana, sliced into 12 even slices
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
  3. Blend the wet ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Set up two loaf pans and line them with large pieces of parchment paper. Spoon in the mixture, half into each pan gently lift and hit the pan against the counter a few times until the mixture is levelled.
  5. Add the topping ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine. Pour half down the middle of each loaf. Use a bamboo or popsicle stick to create a marbled design. Place the stick around ½-1 inch deep and make rounded horizontal zig-zags from one side of the pan to the other. Repeat the swirl pattern in the other direction.
  6. Top each with a row down their centres of 6 banana slices and press them about halfway down into the mixture.
  7. Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, until an toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  8. Leave the banana bread to cool on cooling racks for around 10 minutes then remove the loaves from the pans and place them directly on the cooling rack until fully cooled.
  9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a few months.
  10. If freezing, slice beforehand and place small pieces of wax paper in between so the slices do not stick together.
Recipe by Love from the Land at https://www.lovefromtheland.com/nutty-chocolate-banana-bread/