My Favorite Banana Bread (Dairy and Egg-Free, Vegan)

I'm one of those weird people that can't eat a banana if it has any brown on it, so I tend to put the ones with the brown spots into my freezer. I usually have at least a gallon bag filled with frozen bananas, even after I've made several loaves of banana bread.

I love making banana bread. It is one of my favorite breads to make because it stays so moist and delicious, even after you freeze it. I like to add chocolate and walnuts to mine to add more crunch and sweetness to it. My versions is egg and dairy free, of course, and I use flax seed and almond milk as substitutes. Because I freeze the bananas before using them, they end up a lot sweeter naturally, so I reduce the added sugar in my banana bread by a lot.

Next time you have a few extra bananas that are a little ripe, pop them in the freezer for a few days to sweeten, then make some of this delicious banana bread! Trust me, you won't want to go back to the sugary version!

Rachel's Banana Bread

adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook

Makes 1 loaf

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp flaxseed, mixed with 6 tbsp water

5 medium bananas, thawed slightly

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. cooking oil

1/3 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the flaxseed with water and set aside. Thaw bananas by defrosting in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Peel bananas and put in bowl. Mash with a potato masher to get a uniform consistency. Add sugar and oil and mash a few more times to combine. 

2. In another bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts and chocolate. Stir to combine. Add flaxseed mixture to bananas, then add banana mixture to dry ingredients. Stir to combine just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. 

3. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan with Pam. Pour in batter, then bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before releasing from pan. Cool loaf on a rack until you can't handle it anymore and have to eat a slice (cuz who wants to wait overnight, right?)

Enjoy!