Cacao and Banana Loaf

CACAO AND BANANA LOAF

A banana loaf is a staple bake in anyone's household - we all end up buying bananas that go brown and mushy before we have time to eat them! To reduce wasting food and throwing out those old bananas, I challenge you to try this new cacao and banana loaf instead!

This loaf is made with no refined sugar, wholewheat flour (so is packed with fibre) and raw cacao powder - giving it an intense chocolatey flavour, as well as all the antioxidants that come with using raw cacao instead of traditional cocoa (see comparison of the 2 ingredients, here and here).

I have now baked this loaf numerous times for several different people, and I can confirm that it is a crowd-pleaser (as well as many people not noticing the 'healthier' substitutes of ingredients in this cacao and banana loaf, compared to a traditional banana loaf!)

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Makes: 1 loaf. Cooking Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

- 1 cup mashed bananas (approx 2-3 bananas)

- 1 banana (optional - for decorative topping!)

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup maple syrup

- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil

- 1/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 1 cup plain wholewheat flour

- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 60g 70% dark chocolate (chopped into chunks)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 165C and grease with oil or line with baking paper a loaf tin.

2. Whisk together the mashed bananas and eggs.

3. Add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, milk and vanillas essence.

4. Swap to a wooden spoons and stir in the flour, cacao powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

5. Lastly stir in your dark chocolate chunks, then pour into the prepared loaf tray.

6. Slice banana length ways and place on the top of the uncooked loaf mixture and bake for 40-45 minutes, until cake skewer comes out clean in the middle of the loaf.

7. Leave to cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Ruth xxx