Banana Pecan Maple Loaf

August 9, 2018

Makes: 1 loaf 21cm x 11cm
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1hr 15 minutes
Skill level: Easy

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas mashed

3 cups organic self-raising flour

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup of coconut sugar

1 cup of nut milk ( I like to use homemade cashew milk )

1/4 cup of maple syrup

3/4 cup of filtered water

1 teaspoon of organic apple cider

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/2 a cup of vegan butter

Cooking spray or vegan butter to grease the loaf pan

Extra 1 banana sliced in half horizontally (for the base of loaf tin)

1/4 cup of maple syrup for the top on loaf once cooked

1/4 cup of chopped pecans for the top of the loaf

Method

Start by preheating the oven to 160 degrees
Place flour, baking powder, ground flax seeds and chopped pecans in a large mixing bowl and set to the side
In a medium size bowl, place mashed bananas, vanilla extract, vegan butter maple syrup, apple cider and coconut sugar
Using a whisk, mix until well incorporated. Don’t worry if it looks a little separated. Then slowly add nut milk to wet mixture and mix
Now add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon until just mixed through. Slowly add your water until you get a nice thick batter (like very thick yoghurt). You don’t want to over mix your batter, as this tends to tighten the bread
Lightly spray your loaf pan with oil or use vegan butter to grease
Place the remaining sliced banana in the base and spoon/fold your batter into the loaf pan
Then press the remaining pecans into the top of loaf and place in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes
Check your loaf around the 1-hour mark with a skewer into the centre of the cake
The skewer needs to come out just clean, with a few tiny crumbs
Once cooked, remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Then take the banana bread out of the loaf pan and place on a rack to cool
Place a piece of baking paper under the rack. Flip the cake back over, so the cake is now upright.
Now pour the 1/4 cup of extra maple syrup on top of the loaf and sprinkle with extra pecans
Try to wait until the loaf is completely cool before devouring!

Enjoy