Although I won’t eat bananas on their own, I love banana bread. There’s something about the familiarity of it and the warmth of the spices that always keeps me coming back for more. This recipe is my ideal banana bread: a dairy-free version that is just as good as the standard butter version, with whole wheat and refined sugar-free options.

Ingredients

• Flour: all-purpose, whole wheat. Base of the recipe
• Coconut oil + coconut milk powder: creates coconut oil “brown butter”, adds flavor
• Ripe bananas: some brown spots, not overly soft. Contributes the flavor and adds moisture
• Sugar: adds sweetness and moisture
• Egg: binder, moisture
• Baking soda: leavening and browning
• Vanilla: flavor
• Salt: flavor enhancer

Substitutes

• Whole wheat: use 100g www flour + 85g all-purpose flour
• Refined sugar free: substitute 2 Tbsp. (40g) sorghum syrup instead of using white and brown sugar

Flavor ideas

The following would be great ways to switch up the recipe. For more ideas, check out my post on flavor ideas.

• Double chocolate: 1/3 cup (27.3g) cocoa powder, 1 cup + 2 1/2 Tbsp. (146g) flour, 1/2 tsp. espresso powder, 3 Tbsp. (32g) chocolate chips 
• Orange cranberry walnut: add orange zest, orange juice, dried or fresh cranberries, and chopped toasted walnuts
• Cinnamon swirl: mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl. Make batter and add a little over half to the loaf pan, then top with ~3/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour remaining batter on top and spread flat. Swirl a couple times with a chopstick, then top with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake as normal. For cupcakes, cut cinnamon sugar amount in half.

Muffins

• Make batter as normal
• Separate into 12 muffin tins
• Bake at 375°F for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F for 15 minutes
• For banana nut, fold in 3/4 cup chopped walnuts