Buckwheat banana nut bread {vegan + gluten free}

(cliccate qui per la versione italiana)

Happy Monday everyone! You’ll be thinking: “banana bread in the summer? SHE MAD?!”. I know, I know… it’s more of a fall/winter dessert *but* banana bread more than any other cake screams “AMERICA” to me and, since I’m leaving for the US in a couple of days, I thought it was quite fitting!

It’s one of my all time favorite cakes to make, it’s easy and useful too, especially when you have way too many fully ripe bananas (and lil bugs are starting to love them, too!!). Feel free to use any kind of flour, nuts and dried fruit! I like to store it in the fridge, especially since it’s so hot out and I feel the banana inside may get moldy quickly.

BUCKWHEAT BANANA NUT BREAD {vegan + gluten free}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
yields 1 loaf
prep time: 10 mins, cook time: 30 mins, total time: 40 mins

1 + ½ cups mashed banana (3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup / 80 ml light oil
1/3 cup / 80 ml maple syrup (or other sweetener of choice)
½ cup / 125 ml plant-based milk
lemon juice
2 cups / 175 gr whole buckwheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
cinnamon
ginger, ground
clove, ground
generous handful raisins, soaked in hot water for a few minutes then rinsed
generous handful almonds (or other nuts of choice), roughly chopped
1 bar / 100 gr dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
2. In a bowl, mash bananas and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
3. In another bowl, whisk together oil, sweetener, milk, vanilla and another squeeze of lemon juice. Let sit for a few minutes.
4. In the meantime, in a third bowl, sift and combine flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, salt and vanilla (if using the extract, add it to the liquid ingredients).
5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl and stir to combine. Once a batter has formed, add in the mashed bananas. Stir well. Fold almonds and chocolate into the batter.
6. Pour batter onto a lined or slightly oiled baking dish or plumcake tin. Sprinkle some more nuts on top, if desired.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before eating (about 30 minutes). Cover leftovers and store in a dry place for up to a week.