Plant-Slant Banana Bread

(811 votes, average: 3.64 out of 5)

This oil-free banana bread recipe creates one standard loaf, four mini loaves, or 12 muffins and is moist, satisfying, just sweet enough.

Yield: 12 slices

Recipe adapted from Chef Julia Dunaway, a Fort Worth Blue Zones Project chef.

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Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

½ cup soy milk (or other plant-based milk)

½ cup coconut sugar or organic cane sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1¼ cups mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup dark chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a standard size loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper. You can also use 4 mini loaf pans. Very lightly rub cooking spray on them with a paper towel.
Pour the soy or almond milk into a bowl and add the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine dry ingredients.
In the bowl with the soy milk, add the applesauce, sugar, mashed banana, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just mixed. Don’t overmix. Fold in the walnuts and dark chocolate, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for the standard size pan, or 25-30 minutes for the mini loaf pans, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool on a wire rack and remove from pan after 15 minutes.