Coconut Banana Nut Bread

I always seem to have leftover bananas in my house. I usually buy a big bunch of them, since they are so inexpensive and can be used in a slew of recipes. Today I decided to make banana bread with my extras. Using what I had in my pantry, I came up with is version of banana bread. Dense, and slightly sweet - this is perfect as a quick breakfast, snack or something sweet to finish off a meal. I'm going to enjoy a slice with a cup of hot tea....

It can be customized according to your tastes and what you have on hand. Don't have pecans, almond or coconut? Use whatever nuts you have or omit completely. Also if you prefer a sweeter bread, add more sweetener. You could use agave nectar, coconut sugar, honey or whatever you like to use as a sweetener.

Coconut Banana Nut Bread

Cook Time: 35-40 mins
Prep Time: <15 mins
Serves: 10 (or how ever many pieces you choose to cut)


Ingredients:

• 1oz pecans 
• 1oz almonds 
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut 

Dry:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet:

• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup grade A maple syrup (or 1/2 cup if you prefer it a bit sweeter)
• 3 Tbsp of coconut oil 
• 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

A little extra coconut oil for coating pan


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a loaf pan and light coat the the sides with a little coconut oil (I use a paper napkin, dab it with a little oil and rub against the sides).


In a small food processor (or by hand), blend the pecans, almonds and coconut until broken up into very small pieces.


In a side bowl, combine dry ingredients and nut mixture, set aside. 


In a large bowl, blend wet ingredients until most of the banana is broken up. Then gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture until well incorporated. The batter will be thick. 


Add the mixture to the oiled loaf pan and evenly spread the mixture. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the middle is set (check by inserting a toothpick into the middle, it should come out clean). Let the bread cool before cutting into it (I recommend using a serrated knife to cut it). This bread should keep for 3 days, in a well sealed container. Can be served as is or how ever you enjoy eating it. 


Nutritional Info per Serving (1 slice):
Calories: 200 ; Fat: 9.5g ; Carbohydrate: 31g ; Fiber: 3.5g ; Sugar: 11.5g ; Protein: 3g