It happens to be March break, and because I’m a bad mom (okay, maybe a busy mom) I didn’t plan anything special for my kids! I mean, I’m spending plenty of time with them, which is special, but yesterday they were totally bored. Between trying to kill each other and riding their scooters around the house because it was raining, it was looking like a dull day…until I suggested we bake. We had pretty much an entire bunch of bananas that had gone almost black – so we made banana date bread!
My husband The Critic got home from a hard day at work and devoured several butter-slathered slices (hey, it’s him, not me) all the while declaring that this was one of the best things I’d ever made. He actually thought it was store bought…thanks honey, I’m not sure what that says about my baking abilities, but whatever!
The kids had fun making this recipe too – cracking the eggs (ie spilling the egg whites all over the floor), sticking their hands into the huge bag of flour (“it’s so soft, mommy!”) and generally making a mess “helping out”. They also loved the finished product.
The whole thing comes together very quickly, because the wet ingredients go right into the high-speed blender, and then you just combine them with the dry ingredients and you’re ready to go.
This banana date bread recipe is sweetened entirely with Medjool dates, which are high in fiber and lend a caramel-y taste to the recipe. LOVE.
The vegan alternatives to this recipe are in parentheses.
Makes 8 servings
2 cups Medjool dates, packed, pitted
3 ripe bananas, peeled
1.5 cups all-purpose flour (white or whole wheat)
1/3 cup butter (or coconut oil)
1/3 cup milk (or milk alternative)
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 eggs (or 2T flax meal with ¼ cup + 1T water, combined)
2t vanilla extract
1t baking soda
1/2t salt
Optional: toasted nuts, chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a high speed blender (or bowl, but blender or food processor is best), blend the bananas, butter, and milk until smooth. Add the dates, vanilla, and eggs and blend until the mixture is smooth. You’ll see little pieces of dates, but that’s fine.
Combine the flour, coconut, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold together until completely incorporated, but don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350F until done, around 70 minutes.
You. Are. Welcome.