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

2 cups all-purpose 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
1/3 cup coconut sugar or sub brown sugar (add 1-2 Tbsp more if you like a sweeter loaf)
1/4 cup almond butter (or any nut/seed butter)
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (or regular molasses)
1 tsp vanilla extract

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, almond butter, 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.

If you want to make it into muffins, bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Servings: 8

Author: valeria.chao