Buckwheat Banana Bread (V & GF)

reading time: ca. 1 min




This is one of the things that my boyfriend and i took with us on our hiking trip back in April, and i've made this recipe several times now, so i really wanted to share it with you! It's free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar and even free of nuts, if you like. This is a true "lembas" bread (lord of the rings reference) because it is dense, filling, and a bit on the dry side. To make it more moist, add more bananas or less flour, or use ground nuts instead of any flour. 

The trick is to use only the ripest bananas you can find. Once the skins start to develop freckles and the fruits are just a little too soft for pleasurable snacking, then it's banana bread time. Letting your bananas ripen even longer - until the skins are brown and the fruit falls apart when you peel it - will make your bread even more strongly banana-flavoured and richer.

Banana Buckwheat Bread

adapted from Niomi @ Niomi Smart

Preparation time: 15 min (+ 30-40 mins baking time)
Main ingredients: banana, buckwheat, almonds
difficulty level: easy
makes: 1 loaf
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, nut-free, low-fat


Ingredients

3-5 ripe bananas (i'm using 5 bananas - make sure to use the spotty ones!)
1 cup buckwheat flour (simply grind buckwheat in blender)
1 cup ground almonds (to keep it nut-free, replace these with another cup of flour)
1/4 cup dates, soaked (you could also sub this for a bit of applesauce)
pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil or sunflower oil
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp cacao nibs, or less (optional)

handful of walnuts to garnish


Preparing the banana bread the night before taking off to the mountains and woods:


Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground almonds, buckwheat flour, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add the cacao nibs (if you want a little chocolate kick - otherwise omit) and give it another mix. Mash the bananas with the back of a fork until they are smooth, or blend. Blend the soaked dates too until a thick paste forms. 

Measure 1/3 cup of oil and add it to the banana date mixture. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until combined. Evenly distribute the mixture into a large loaf tin and sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for around 35 minutes. After 35 minutes poke a knife through the centre of the loaf and remove it. If it is clean, the banana bread is ready! Let cool before enjoying though :)




Maisy

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