Yesterday afternoon I was racking my brain on what to bring to a Girls Nite In potluck using ingredients that were already in the house, as the boys were napping and I couldn’t get to the grocery store. In perusing the cabinets and fridge, I saw a bunch of overly ripe bananas waiting for a better fate, buckwheat flour, vegan chocolate chips, and medjool dates…Yes! Banana bread! I quickly scrolled through Pinterest for some ideas and got to work. I decided to do a Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Banana Chocolate loaf with a caramel date frosting. I used hemp milk and Lily’s brand dark chocolate chips because they are vegan and use stevia instead of refined sugar.
This was a first pass, guys, but the loaf turned out beautiful and tasty. A couple of you also thought so and requested the recipe, so here it is. Since this was a first pass, I adjusted a couple things from what I did to make it even better. Let me know how yours turns out..I’d love to see pics!
Banana Chocolate Loaf with Caramel Date Frosting
BREAD:
- 5 overly ripe bananas
- 1/3 c coconut oil + oiling pan
- ½ c honey
- ½ c non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups buckwheat flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 c dark chocolate chips
FROSTING:
- 20 plump medjool dates, pitted (if dried, soak in water for about 1 hour)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 8 Tbsp non-dairy milk
Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mash 4 of the bananas with a fork in mixing bowl. Add coconut oil, honey, milk alternative and vanilla extract and mix well. Next add buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Start mixing on low setting, then gradually increase and mix until all ingredients are well combined. stop mixer and stir in dark chocolate chips. Coat bottom and sides of 9″x5″ loaf pan with coconut oil and pour in batter. Take remaining banana and slice in half, longways and lay each piece seed side up on top. Push into batter slightly. Put into oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes. Bread is done when toothpick comes out clean of batter (not melted chocolate). While bread is cooking make frosting – Put all ingredients into food processor and blend until well combined and thick and creamy. Once bread is done, take out of oven and let cool. Once cool, run knife along edge to separate from pan and carefully flip out onto plate. Smear frosting on as you please…and enjoy!
