Banana bread. There are so many recipes out there, many of which are brilliant. This one, a gluten free and vegan recipe, was a throw together creation when sadly I had no eggs nor wheat flour at hand. It turned out to be SO good and so easy, so I had to share. Full of banana and dark chocolate chunks this is divine as is, toasted or warmed and is certainly a crowd pleaser.

You need:

• 4 ripe bananas (the riper the better), mashed
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1/4 cup milk (any milk works well)
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/2 cup water (to make chia seed gel, the egg substitute)
• 1 tsp. vanilla essence
• 2 Tbsp. coconut sugar, raw sugar or maple syrup
• 2 cups flour (in this I use gluten free flour, but you could also use regular wheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and rice flour)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Dark chocolate

To make:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and grease/line a loaf tin.

Firstly, mix the chia seeds and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl and put aside for a few minutes.

Then, in a large bowl, mix the mashed banana, coconut oil, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and chia seed gel (it should be gel-like and ready to mix in after 5mins or so). Then sift in the flour, baking powder and soda and carefully mix until all is well combined. Add your dark chocolate pieces/chips and carefully fold in.

Pour cake batter into your tin and bake for 45-50mins. I suggest checking it at 45mins. The banana bread will be ready once tested with a skewer (and skewer is removed with a few slightly sticky crumbs).

Allow to cool before removing from tin. Keep in an airtight container. Due to the moisture content I suggest keeping it in the fridge after a day or two, to ensure it keeps well.

Lara x

Gestational Diabetes –

This cake can be suitable for those with GDM. I would suggest a few recipe adjustments – you can use 4 ripe bananas but I’d suggest not adding any sugar (and this cake is sweet anyway with the banana). I would also suggest adding a sugar free chocolate, either chopped or choc chips (maximum 50g) or not adding chocolate at all. With these adjustments this cake is just as nice, I promise! I would also suggest, once baked, to divide this cake into 20 pieces. To do this I suggest cutting it into 10 slices then halving each slice. One piece (a half slice) should be a perfectly fine snack, for most ladies with GDM, to enjoy sometimes in between meals. However, if you’re unsure of what’s best for you, speak with your Dietitian or reach out to me via email or social media.