02 May Banana and date bread

This is such a good way to use up brown spotted bananas and give your friends or family a treat. Over ripe bananas provide a lot of sweetness and antioxidants for a healthy immune system. Dates are also very sweet and provide great fibre and B vitamins and magnesium. This can be made dairy and egg free just follow instructions below.

Wet ingredients
3 large very brown spotted bananas
200 g pitted dates, soaked for 10 minutes in hot water, then drained
2 large eggs, beaten or 2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 150 ml hot water for 15 mins
100 ml melted butter or coconut oil

Dry Ingredients

100 g porridge oats
100 g ground almonds
100 g spelt flour white or brown
2 tsp baking powder
50 g dark brown sugar (optional)

Oil a 2lb loaf tin and line with baking or greaseproof paper which overlaps the sides for easy removal.
Preheat oven gas 4 or 180C.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Put the bananas, drained dates, eggs, and sugar (if using) into your food processor and pulse till everything is broken up into small pieces but not smooth, you want some texture.
Pour into the dry ingredients and add the butter or coconut oil and soaked chia seeds if using instead of egg. Mix well and spoon or pour the mixture into your prepared tin and level.

Bake in middle part of the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, you can stick a knife in at this point and it will probably come out sticky with mixture – this is a dense loaf, so don’t worry too much. Once it is a nice dark golden colour remove from the oven. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then remove by holding the paper onto a cooling rack and leave paper on and let it cool.
Store in an airtight container.
Serve on its own or slathered in butter 🙂