This is one of my all time favorite quick breads. Its packed with energy and nutrition. I usually always end up with overripe bananas at home. Unlike other fruits that end up in the compost bin, overripe bananas have endless opportunities to become yummy baked goods. The more spotted and blackened, the more natural sweetness and enzymes! You can always freeze the banana mash until you are ready to bake.

What’s fun about quick breads is you can get creative. I love to add extra things like berries, date pieces, walnuts, seeds, shaved coconut, or any other compatible ingredient I have lying around the kitchen. You can go vegan (sub with flax egg) and gluten-free (by using nutritious flours made out of seeds and ancient grains). There’s absolutely no need for white flour and white sugar. Over-processed foods have little to no nutrition (empty calories). However this recipe is packed full of healthy goodness.

Ingredients

• 2 cup Ancient Grain Flour (combo of quinoa, millet, amaranth, brown rice, flaxseed, and/or buckwheat)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (save some to sprinkle on top)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 small/medium bananas, mashed
• ⅓ cup agave or maple syrup
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (I recommend a combination of coconut oil and olive oil )
• 1 egg (or alternative, flax egg*)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 2 Handfuls of berries (blueberry and raspberry are my favorite!)
• Optional: Handful or 2 of walnut pieces
• Optional: Sprinkle salt and seeds on top (flax, hemp, and/or chia)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly oil a loaf pan.
2. Whisk together the four along with the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed banana, agave or maple syrup, oil, flax egg, vanilla extract, and vinegar or lemon juice. Add these wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until they’re just evenly combined.
4. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Check the bread for doneness at the 40-minute mark, just in case your oven runs hot. Transfer the bread to a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Notes

*To make a vegan flax egg, mix together 1 tablespoon ground flax and 3 tablespoons warm water. Allow the mixture to thicken for a few minutes before using.

Leftover bread should be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

• Prep Time 10 mins
• Cook Time 50 mins
• Serves 12 slices