Healthier Banana Bread
Banana loaf cake always goes down well and it’s a great way of using up very ripe bananas that would otherwise be thrown away. This is a healthier version of my usual recipe, containing less fat and sugar and around 163 calories a slice. You can find banana chips for the topping in larger supermarkets and health food stores, but don’t worry if not, either bake ‘naked’ or top with a few walnut or pecan nut halves instead.
Ingredients
- oil for brushing or spraying
- 2 very ripe bananas about 225g peeled weight
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 5 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 medium eggs beaten
- 50 g soft light brown sugar
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 25 g dried banana chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/Gas 4. Line the base of a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment and lightly grease with a little oil.
- 2. Peel the bananas and cut into short lengths. Put them in a food processor and blend to a rough puree. Add the spice, sunflower oil, eggs and sugar and blitz until lightly combined. Add the flour and baking powder blend on the pulse setting until just combined. Don’t over-blend the cake batter or the cake will be too close textured when baked.
- 3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Top with the banana chips if you have them. Bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out a little moist but clean.
- 4. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack. Gently flip the cake the right way up and leave to cool. Cut into thin slices to serve.
