Friday's Treat: Banana Bread

This bread is so incredibly moist & it's better than any other banana bread recipe I've tried (no bias).

Who needs dairy? Not this girl!

Might I suggest some vegan cream cheese to go along with it? Um, heaven.

This was my first time experimenting with brown rice syrup, and it did not disappoint. As delightfully sweet as it made this treat, brown rice syrup has a low glycemic index, which basically means it won't spike your blood sugar or make you crash later (as is the case with refined sugars).

*Tip: Prepare the batter the night before, and first thing in the morning simply pour into a greased loaf pan and pop into the oven. It'll be ready when you are!

Carys's Banana Bread

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
(*OR: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 brown bananas, mashed
2/3 cups pecans or walnuts, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a large loaf pan and dust with flour.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk the oil and milk until well combined. Add the syrup, vanilla extract, and bananas and beat until creamy or mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the nuts, if using. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until all of the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared oven and bake 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool (if you can be that patient!)

I adapted this recipe from the Pumpkin Banana Bread recipe in Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook (Thanks Kim!).