How to Make Banana Bread With Avocados

Banana bread can be a sugar bomb thinly disguised as healthy food, or an energizing breakfast or snack that helps fuel your day.

We set out to make the latter: a loaf that’s grain free, contains no refined sugar and is full of healthy fats to keep you sated and make your skin glow. Our secret ingredient? Avocados. They give this loaf a moist texture and tons of fiber and nutrients.

This bread by itself isn’t sweet like traditional banana bread. If you want it to taste like a treat, fold some mini dark chocolate chips into the batter, or slather a slice with a chocolate nut butter spread like Nocciolata or Justin’s Chocolate-Hazelnut Butter, or some all-fruit jam. If you prefer a slice on the savory side, eat it on its own or spread on a bit of butter or cream cheese.

Any way you slice it, you’ll love this modern take on a classic.

Avocado-Banana Bread

Yield: 1 8-inch loaf

1 ½ cups almond meal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. salt

8 oz. avocado, halved, pitted, flesh scooped out (about ¾ cup flesh)

2 medium ripe bananas (about 13 oz.), sliced

3 Tbsp. coconut oil, plus more for pan

2 tsp. vanilla extract

5 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 large egg

½ cup chopped nuts, unsweetened coconut or chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch loaf pan with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a food processor, process avocado and bananas until blended. Add 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup and egg; process just until blended. Add avocado mixture to almond mixture and stir until combined. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using.
3. Spread batter in loaf pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

This article originally appeared on Health.com

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