I could just sit in my living room all day with the tree plugged in, some hot cocoa, and a slice of this yummy healthy gingerbread banana bread. I’m loving all things gingerbread this season and this bread is so cozy and comforting. This bread is filled with great gingerbread spices and so moist. It is nourishing, filled with good for your ingredients, vegan, refined sugar free, and oil-free.

The sweetness from the bananas and molasses go well together. It’s only lightly sweet, so feel free to add a couple more tablespoons of coconut sugar if you prefer a sweeter bread, but I think it’s perfectly sweet the way it is. The longer this bread sits, the BETTER it tastes. If you can wait a day to slice into it, it will be more moist and flavorful the next day. However, it’s still really good if you want to sneak a little slice after it has cooled. 🙂

If you love banana bread and gingerbread, this combo is so delicious. I hate how short gingerbread season is, so you have to make this before December is over! I love eating it warm with some almond or peanut butter on top. It’s SO good! Tag me on Instagram @nutsaboutgreens if you make this so I can see your creations!

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 AP flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water)
3 super ripe bananas
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (or regular molasses)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, make the flax eggs by combining the ground flaxseed and water. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined.
In the bowl with the flax eggs, add the bananas. Mash until smooth. Add the coconut sugar, applesauce, molasses, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a spatula and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix!
Pour batter into lined loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes then carefully lift the bread out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy! Store in an airtight container on the counter. It tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop.

Servings: 8

Author: valeria.chao

Healthy Gingerbread Banana Bread (vegan, oil-free, refined sugar free)