While we are in social distancing mode, I wanted to share a recipe that would be a treat, with ingredients you could likely still find at the store, and that was nutrient-rich. Hopefully everyone has almond meal (almond flour) in their pantry, and if not most stores are still carrying it; you can also grind any nut in your pantry into nut flour using a food processor. Bananas, almond butter, and eggs appear to still be available in most stores.
Banana tree at my home
Here is a surprise, a delightful gluten-free, dairy-free dessert that could be served as a dessert, snack, or a light breakfast. Cinnamon’s blood sugar lowering properties, the lack of grain flour, and the brain healthy fats from eggs, pecans, and almonds make this a fabulous alternative to most cakes or traditional banana bread that are overloaded with sugar. If you wanted a bit more sweetness, you could add a quarter cup of honey to the recipe with the liquid ingredients, but I think the bananas and dates add enough natural sweetness that you do not need it.
Makes: One loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
4 large eggs, (organic-fed, cage free), whisked
4 tablespoons almond butter
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour (almond meal, or any nut flour).
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup dates, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° (F). Coat a loaf pan with parchment paper coated with oil and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, almond butter, banana and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, clove, salt, nuts, and dates. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, gently stirring to combine.
Once mixed, pour the batter into the loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserts and comes out dry. Remove from loaf pan and allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy,
Steven Masley, MD
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Being pre-Diabetic, controlled by diet no meds. I stay away from bananas & dates for the last 4 yrs but would love to make some Banana Bread. Do you think this bread would be ok to eat? Was I being overly careful?
A bigger issue than bananas and dates would be sugar and grain flour as they have a higher glycemic load. For a pre-diabetic, I would not suggest this recipe every day, nor bananas and dates every day, yet if you are active and otherwise follow a low glycemic load eating plan, such as a Mediterranean diet, then this could be a healthy dessert option for an occasional treat. Steven Masley, MD
Thank you for the recipe. Will try, hopefully soon!