Vegan Banana Walnut Loaf

I allow myself to believe that December is for indulging in all the goodies of the holidays, especially sweets.  Any type of sweet bread (e.g., cupcakes, pan dulce, and muffins) is my guilty pleasure.  This month’s recipe is no exception, we’ve just opted for the healthier version of the classic - Vegan Banana Walnut Loaf.  It’s dairy and egg-free and just as delicious as the original.  I like to think of it as a “guilt-free pleasure.”

With this recipe, it’s all about the bananas, they replace the need for eggs or other egg replacers.  They also help lessen the amount of sugar required.  The key is to use very ripe, freckly bananas, because the riper your bananas are, the less sugar you’ll need.  My recipe calls for walnuts but you could always replace these with vegan chocolate chips or pecans.   What I love most about this recipe is that it’s easy to make with only a 10-minute prep.  

So here it is, another delicious recipe for you to enjoy!

BANANA WALNUT LOAF – makes one (1) 9” x 5” loaf pan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• ⅓ cup organic pure cane sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• pinch of mineral salt

• ⅓ cup vegan butter at room temp - I use Earth Balance (you could also use canola or coconut oil in liquid state)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 3 large overripe bananas (about 1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups), mashed

• ¼ cup almond milk, use only if needed

• 1 cup of chopped walnuts

For Topping

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 4 tablespoons organic brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan and arrange a strip of parchment paper width-wise along the center, with just a bit hanging out over each side.

• Peel the bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them well with a fork or potato masher.

• Add vegan butter or oil, and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well-mixed.

• Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon (in this order).

• Stir everything together just until mixed. Don't over mix, just enough until the flour is combined. The batter will be thick.

• If batter is too thick, add a few tablespoons of almond milk - I added two tbsps.

• Fold in the walnuts.

• Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top.

• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Smooth out with a spoon.

• Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

• Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Once cooled, cut loaf into slices and enjoy.  

Xoxo - G