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Sugar Free Banana Bread With Oats, Dates & Nuts

Wet ingredients

100 ml olive oil, avocado oil or melted coconut oil 

2 large eggs

100 g / 6 tbsp yoghurt

150 ml date syrup or honey

2 large ripe bananas, mashed

Dry Ingredients  

220 g oat flour

1/2 cup desiccated coconut (optional)

a sprinkle of sea salt

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp bicarbonate soda 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp dried ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup / 150 g pitted dates

1 cup / 140 almonds

Let's get baking! 

1. Preheat oven to 160C Fan/180C and prepare a 9 x 5 inch loaf tin or a muffin tray. (This mixture can fit into two large muffin trays) Grease the tin with oil and dust flour around the entire surface, or line with greaseproof paper.

2. Grind the oats in a dry food processor or blender and set aside. In a mixing bowl whisk the olive oil and eggs until fluffy. Add yoghurt, honey and bananas mashed with a fork. Mix well before adding the dry ingredients. 

3. Chop the nuts, reserving a table spoon of chopped nuts, for the final step before baking. Now add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing all in one at a time to incorporate ingredients properly. Of course all this can be done in a mixer or food processor, but there is much beauty and therapy in mixing by hand and connecting with your food. 

4. Pour mixture into your prepared tin, making sure the batter is levelled evenly. Add the reserved nuts on top of the batter, gently pushing the nuts in.

5. Bake for up to 50 minutes depending on the strength of your oven. Bake at 160 C if using a fan oven which may be hotter than usual. Typically your banana bread should be cooked at 40 minutes but could also take up to an hour. It will cook much quicker in muffin tins. 

6. Once cooked, leave to cool in the tin for 20 - 30 minutes before serving with your favourite ice cream or yogurt. 

Chef's Tip: Be patient. Check using a cake tester or small sharp knife pierced in the middle of the loaf. If the tester comes out very wet with crumbs stuck on, this means your loaf needs more time. If the top of the loaf is sufficiently cooked after 40 minutes and the inside is not, give it an extra 5 minutes before you check again, checking every 5 minutes until cooked.

To store: Slice your banana bread, wrap in grease proof paper and place in an airtight container. Your banana bread will keep for up to 3 days, 7 days in the refrigerator or even frozen for a few weeks.

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