When I was in the making of my second book The new green protein I probably baked this banana bread at least 20 times. Over and over again, to make sure it got exactly the way I wanted. The perfect combination of sweet and savoury, moist yet not-as-moist-as-a-pancake and the perfect ratio of spices.

After all those baking sessions this one became a favourite and I more often then not have a loaf, sliced so I can take out 1 or 10 pieces, in my freezer for all kinds of occasions: weekend breakfasts, brunch, when having soup and I want something semi-sweet on the side, when I realise I don’t have any dessert to serve for tonights dinner party AND SO ON.

I use green banans for this recipe, just when they are soft enough to mash (if using too unripe ones they are hard as rocks), both because green bananas contain more fiber (instead of sugar) but most because I don’t like the super sweet banana flavour yellow bananas have. When using green this bread becomes both savoury AND sweet, and I serve then both as a dessert as pictured below - but also topped with hummus / leafy greens / avocado / cress / whatever! Both DELISH if you ask me!

So, done with the writing - time to bake some banana bread!

Banana bread with coconut yoghurt, almond sauce and apple cinnamon compote

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.25 cups oat flour

2 1/2 dl / 1.5 cups almond flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 small green bananas

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 cups almond mylk

3 Tbsp chia seeds

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups cold pressed olive oil + extra for oiling the baking tin

Almond sauce

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups unsweetened almond butter

2 Tbsp water

a pinch of flakey salt

Cinnamon apple compote

2 red apples, cut in to pieces, peel still on

a splash of water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of flakey salt

For serving

Coconut yoghurt

Ground cinnamon for dusting

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175°C.

Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the chia seeds, in a bowl.

Peel and mash the bananas until chunky.

Heat up the almond mylk, stirr together with the chia seeds, let sit for 5 minutes until you get your “chia egg”. Add to the dry ingredients, together with the banana mash and oil.

Oil a baking tin, put baking paper in the bottom. Pour in the batter. Bake in the middle of the oven for 55-60 minutes, until the banana bread turns golden. Take out, let cool for 5 minutes. Take out the loaf from the tin and put it on a cooling rack. Let cool completely. Slice it.

Mix the ingredients for the almond sauce until smooth. Salt to taste.

Fry the apple pieces in a splash of water together with the cinnamon until soft and sweet.

Serve a piece of banana bread with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, a big spoonful of cinnamon apple compote, drizzle with almond sauce and dust with cinnamon for a fancy look!

Hope you like it!