“This sh*t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!”
Bake up a loaf and you’ll see that the sentiment is both literal and emotional.
Ripe bananas – rich in manganese, potassium, and vitamins C and B6 – act as the sweetener for this bread, reducing the need for the standard 1-2 cups of requisite sugar. Don’t worry though, ‘cause this bread still has game!
Cozy and comforting, it’s chock-full of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and energy-dense coconut flakes – a combo so delightful it promises to carry you through the inevitable cold and rainy days of spring.
Put a smile on your face? Check. Put some sweetness in your tummy? Check. Keeping the snack game on point? Check! Check!
Now, stop monkeying around and start baking.
Toasted Coconut and Dark Chocolate Banana Bread
Serves 8-12
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup brown rice flour
- 1 tsp ground flax seed
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plain, organic full-fat yogurt
- 2 large bananas
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ tsp coconut extract and ½ tsp vanilla extract, or just all vanilla
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chunks/chips, at least 72% cocoa
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8½-inch x 4½ -inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Toast the coconut in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Reserve 2 tablespoons for topping the bread and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, flax seed, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Place eggs, yogurt, bananas, coconut oil, and extract into a high-tech blender (e.g. Vitamix, Blendtec) and press the BATTERS button to combine. Alternatively, pre-mash the bananas until smooth and soupy and mix everything together in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and press the BATTERS button again, but just let it run until combined, about 5 seconds. If you’re not using a Blendtec, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and simply stir to combine. Add in the coconut and chocolate and pulse once or twice (or stir) until combined.
5. Pour into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with reserved coconut, and bake for 40-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
