Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

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Healthy Banana Bread with ripe bananas, buckwheat, and pumpkin seeds. Moist, iron-rich, naturally sweet, vegan, gluten-free, with no oil or added sugar.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Soaking time:1

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Healthy Treat, Snack

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Nisha Melvani

Equipment

High-Speed Blender
Loaf pan 9 x 5-inch or similar size

Ingredients

1 ½ cups raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
2 cups mashed bananas about 4 medium
1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups buckwheat flour
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 ½ tablespoons whole psyllium husks
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon more (see notes)
½ teaspoon salt or to taste (optional)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar plus 2 teaspoons more (see notes)

Instructions

Soak the pumpkin seeds. Cover the pumpkin seeds with room temperature water to cover. Let soak for 1 hour. Drain well.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or use a nontoxic nonstick loaf pan.
Blend the wet ingredients. Add the soaked pumpkin seeds, measured mashed banana, nondairy milk, and vanilla to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, ground flaxseed, psyllium, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (if using).
Pour the blended pumpkin-seed mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until just combined. Stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Check the consistency. The batter should be thick and sticky but still easy to spread with a spatula. If it's too stiff, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Note: It will be thick and sticky—this is normal. Don't make the batter runny.
For extra rise: Add an additional ½ teaspoon baking soda directly on top of the mixed batter, then pour 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar over it. It will fizz. Quickly fold it into the batter.
Transfer the batter quickly to the prepared pan. Smooth the surface.
Bake on the middle rack for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through. Check the loaf after 30 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, move it to the lower rack and tent loosely with foil. Continue baking until the center is set and a tester comes out without wet batter. (Optional: Brush the top lightly with oil at the 30-minute mark for extra moisture.)
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wirerack. Cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Nutrition: Each serving provides ~4 mg iron per serving (22% DV) before the pumpkin-seed date cream, 183 mg magnesium (44% DV), and 2.2 mg zinc (20% DV).

For extra rise: After adding the apple cider vinegar and mixing the batter, Add an additional ½ teaspoon baking soda directly on top of the mixed batter, then pour 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar over it. Let it fizz, then quickly fold it into the batter. Then immediately transfer to the loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake.

For a pretty finish: Coarsely grind a few pumpkin seeds and sprinkle them over the batter before baking for a more interesting, textured look.

Cookware: Find my nonstick, nontoxic loaf pan here.

For optional Pumpkin Seed Cream: Cover ¾ cup pumpkin seeds with room temperature water and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. Add the soaked seeds, 4 Medjool dates, ½ cup nondairy milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon to a high-speed blender. Blend until silky, thick, and creamy. Add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time as needed until the desired texture.

Nutrition