FOR THE KIDS // HEALTHY SPELT BANANA BREAD RECIPE

This is one that  Henry loves so much and I make it time and time again, so here it is : a perfected Spelt banana bread recipe. (recipe ever so slightly adapted from The Healthy Foodie). We both like ours toasted with butter or almond butter and if we had some chopped bananas we would sprinkle those on top too! 

INGREDIENTS

Dry Ingredients
• 2 cups spelt flour (we used Sharpham Park Wholegrain Spelt Flour) 
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup raisins or chopped dried apricots 
Wet Ingredients
• 4 medium bananas, loosely mashed
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup natural yoghurt (you can use soy or coconut milk yoghurt too if you want to avoid dairy)
• dash of buttermilk (same here - coconut milk or soya/almond milk works too)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• ¼ tsp pure almond extract
• 2 tbsp agave syrup or honey
To be sprinkled on bread
• 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2-3 tbsp finely chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 180c; Prepare a loaf pan by spraying with oil or non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix in walnuts and raisins and set aside.
3. In a larger bowl, loosely mash the bananas. Add eggs, yoghurt, buttermilk, vanilla and almond extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined, no more. (Important not to overmix)
5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle with coconut and chopped walnuts. Place in the oven and bake 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
6. Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the loaf cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before turning it out and cooling on a cooling rack completely.