coffee, walnut and tahini banana bread

I absolutely adore banana bread, so I wanted to share this recipe with you. It’s something I almost weekly make, because it’s such a convenient snack to have on hand. It’s versatile and suitable as a quick grab and go breakfast, a treat along a cup of tea or coffee, an afternoon snack or even dessert. But because I make it so often, things can get a bit boring. That’s why I try to mix up things a bit by coming up with different flavors and variations.

Today, I made this banana bread that features the adult flavors of bitter roasted coffee, middle eastern tahini and walnuts. The flavors, although not so standard, go together pretty well. The bread isn’t overly sweet, has a subtle banana flavor along with the warmness of the coffee and tahini. The walnuts are represented in the bread itself, but are also sprinkled on top. The tahini is also present in both ways.

What’s great about this coffee, walnut and tahini banana bread is that it’s not only delicious, but also super healthy. It’s sugar free, rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals and is also gluten-free and lactose free, making this recipe suitable for those with allergies or diabetes.

I’ve used a combination of gluten free flours, that also happen to be quite nutritious. Unlike regular all pupose flour, they contain a whole lot more fibre and nutrients. And instead of sugar, honey or maple syrup, which are by the way fine in moderation, I used erythritol, a natural zero calorie sweetener that tastes just like sugar. I didn’t need to use much, as the bread was already naturally sweetened with the ripe bananas. You could also use a bit of stevia, of course, to enhance the sweetness of the bananas.

This recipe does not look simple, but I can assure you; It most definitely is. It’s a matter of stirring the dry and the wet ingredients in a bowl, pouring it into a greased pan, bake and top with coffee, walnut and tahini drizzle and voila, you can dig in!

Notes:

• Don’t need this bread to be gluten free? Substitute the flours in the recipe with half wholewheat flour and half brown rice or buckwheat flour. I do not recommend using 100% wholewheat, as the result can get too dense.
• Make your own oat and walnut flour. I’ve blended oats and walnuts together into a flour, so no need to head to the store.
• I always try to use extremely overripe bananas, the kind that have become black and ugly. They give off the most flavor.

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Ingredients:

• 50 grams of brown rice flour
• 50 grams oat flour
• 50 grams of ground walnuts
• 50 grams of millet or buckwheat flour
• 3 eggs
• 3 overripe bananas
• 3 tbsp erythritol or other sweetener, to taste
• 20 grams of runny tahini
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of sea salt

For the glaze:

• 3 tbsp powdered erythritol or xilitol
• 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp tahini
• 2 tsp water
• handful of walnuts, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 c. Start by combining all the different flours, erythritol, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
2. Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork in another bowl.
3. Add the eggs, vanilla and tahini. Stir until creamy, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir everything gently and don’t overmix the batter.
4. Poor the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown. Check if done with a skewer. If not, bake a few minutes more until done. Let the bread cool.
5. Make the drizzle by combining the powdered erythritol, espresso powder, tahini and water. Drizzle over the banana bread and scatter with some chopped walnuts. Slice and serve.