Today was just one of those days. While I have fallen headfirst into the blogosphere, my main job is still MOM. I am lucky enough to have a few hours of help every weekday, whether it’s our nanny or my mother, but for the past few days, that hasn’t even mattered. There’s a ton of stuff to do around the house and I’m knee deep in the New York City pre-school application process. Add in the fact we’re in the thick of a particularly bad teething round/clingy phase and sometimes it feels like I’m just barely able to keep my head above water. There have been a whole lot of tears and not a lot of sleep. And that’s just me lol.
I had really wanted to finish up a pregnancy related piece to share today, but that just wasn’t in the cards. I was able to squeeze in some backend work for the blog (omg I had no idea how much there is!!), but couldn’t quite get to finalizing my content. My head just wasn’t in the right space. So when I finally did get a minute to breathe, I decided to do something that was just pure fun (and yes, working on my blog is fun, because if it wasn’t I wouldn’t do it, but writing about more serious topics is not exactly a way to relax the mind). I made something I’m really excellent at baking: gluten free, dairy free, almost paleo, chocolate chip banana bread! One thing it certainly isn’t, is taste free.
This banana bread is always a huge hit in our house. It is so yummy, all family members approve! I’ve been making since I was about nine months pregnant and craving banana bread like crazy! Over time I’ve tweaked the recipe to make it uniquely mine. I like to do mine half chocolate chip for the adults, and half plain for EJ. Have fun with it – try to experiment with your own add-ins like nuts or berries! You can even do it sugar free if that’s a concern for your little ones. Just make sure your bananas are super ripe. Either way, it’s guaranteed to be delish!
Fresh out the oven, smells like heaven! The incredible insides… The OG! The first one ever made. Why is it so shiny?
Prep Time: 15 minutes
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Cook Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup tapioca flour
- 1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 4 small/medium overripe bananas (anywhere from cheetah spotted to full black)!
- 4 large OR 3 extra-large eggs at ROOM TEMP. Placing them in a bowl of warm water helps if you’re in a rush.
- ¼ coconut oil, melted completely and close to room temp
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like the brand Enjoy Life)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 glass baking dish with parchment paper. (side note: I realize this is not a loaf pan. Using a medium sized loaf pan should also do the trick, but I can’t vouch for the results and you will need to keep an eye on the bake time).
- Mix together all of the dry ingredients in bowl, except for the sugar, and set aside.
- Mash up bananas in a larger bowl. First whisk in the eggs, then vanilla, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. Combine well. (You can skip the sugar here if you want, just make sure your bananas are super ripe!)
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet with the whisk or a spoon until no dry spots are left and the two are completely combined. Fold in any mix-ins that you want! If you want to do half mix-ins, see below. Do not use an electric mixer.
- Transfer batter to baking dish. If you want to do half chocolate chips like I do, I simply sprinkle the chips over one half and slowly mix in just that side with a fork. I sometimes then add extra chocolate chips on top!
- Bake in the oven for 60 minutes. When it’s done, the banana bread will have a nice golden brown crust and will pass the toothpick test.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack if you have one. I just let it cool on the counter. Sometimes I cool in the pan, sometimes I don’t. I honestly haven’t noticed a difference.
- Slice it up anyway you want, and enjoy! Try your best to share 🙂
We like to keep ours on the counter throughout the first day, and then store in the fridge from that night forward. The banana bread will keep for at least three days. I can’t tell you how much longer it would last than three days because usually it’s all gone by then! Happy baking!