functional banana bread

This is da Carla's functional banana bread — a moist winner for anyone who wants to enjoy mindfully. By baking with banana flour, we create a naturally gluten-free and Paleo-friendly bread packed with resistant starch, which acts as valuable prebiotics for your gut flora. It tastes just like a classic banana bread, even to those used to gluten, yet delivers a mineral boost of 1007 mg of potassium and 3.9 mg of iron per 100 g of flour. We have skipped grains and white sugar entirely in favour of pure, natural ingredients, and since banana flour is Low FODMAP it is an excellent choice for a sensitive stomach. If you follow a strict FODMAP diet, one slice per serving is recommended to keep the fructose from the ripe bananas at a low level.

Batter

• 3 large ripe bananas + 1 extra banana for decoration
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 0.8 dl coconut oil (melted)
• 0.8 dl coconut syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp da Carla apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 3 dl da Carla banana flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pinches of salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 175°C.
• Line a loaf tin (approx. 1.5 litres) with baking paper or grease it with a little coconut oil.
• Mash the bananas until completely smooth in a bowl. Stir in the melted coconut oil, coconut syrup, beaten eggs, vinegar and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix the banana flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt evenly.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the banana batter. Stir only until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the tin. Split a banana lengthways and place the halves on top of the batter, cut side up.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 45–55 minutes. Check with a skewer that the bread is baked through.
• Let the bread cool completely in the tin before slicing.