Monday, February 10, 2014

Yummy Paleo Banana Bread!





I made this bread this weekend and I have to say it really tasted great, moist, rich and who would have ever thunk not even any honey or maple syrup just the sweetness from the bananas! However, you can add a little homemade whipped cream to top it off, made only with a little maple syrup of course. I have been giving slices away so not much left.

BEST PALEO BANANA BREAD EVER
The worst compliment you can get as a chef is "Ooo that tastes so healthy!" That usually means "That tastes bland and I hate it. You suck."

You won't get that awful response here. This looks, smells and tastes like the real banana bread you grew up eating. It would make a wonderful Valentine's day treat, whether with whipped cream for dessert or smeared with butter for breakfast. I plan on making mini loaves for Christmas gifts next year.

All the sweetness in this bread comes from the bananas. There is no honey, no maple syrup, nothing.

I added flax meal for Omega-3's, pecans because they're delicious and cinnamon because it is soul-warming. I use butter because it's awesome, but if you'd rather sub coconut oil, you can. You could exchange walnuts, chocolate or whatever you like in banana bread, but I highly recommend this exact combination.

This combination of arrowroot starch (flour), almond flour and coconut flour creates the best bread texture I've ever used while keeping it gluten free. It would fool a breadmaker. It is moist and held together perfectly (not crumbly and dry as many paleo breads are).

I am very proud of the way this turned out. I sincerely hope you enjoy this recipe as I did.

The Perfect Paleo Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
2 Tablespoons flax meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350ยบ. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with butter. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher or a large whisk. Mash them up really well. Whisk in the butter, eggs and vanilla, combining very well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients, except the pecans. Make sure you break up all the flours (coconut flour tends to be especially clumpy). Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula to combine. Stir in the pecans. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 55 minutes, until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.