Name: Banana Nut & Seed Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 1 small loaf
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 2 large very ripe bananas (250 g peeled weight); 2 medium eggs; 100 g thick Greek yoghurt; 40 ml olive oil or melted butter; 110 g oat flour; 40 g ground almonds; 30 g ground pumpkin seeds; 25 g walnuts, roughly chopped; 15 g ground flaxseed (about 1½ tbsp); 1 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp fine salt; 1 tsp cinnamon, optional; Extra pumpkin seeds; Walnut pieces

This is a soft, naturally sweet banana bread made without any added sugar, with very ripe bananas providing all the sweetness. Greek yoghurt keeps the loaf moist and tender, while oat flour, ground almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and flaxseed give it a lovely nutty texture and plenty of flavour.

I love the combination of nuts and seeds here. The ground ingredients disappear into the loaf, while the chopped walnuts and extra seeds on top give you little pockets of crunch. Oat flour also makes this naturally gluten free, as long as you use certified gluten-free oats if needed.

It’s an easy everyday loaf that’s particularly good with a little butter. The flavour is simple and nutty, with the ripe banana coming through without making the loaf overly sweet. It’s also a great one to make when you have a few very spotty bananas that need using.

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

2 large very ripe bananas (250 g peeled weight)
2 medium eggs
100 g thick Greek yoghurt
40 ml olive oil or melted butter

Dry ingredients

110 g oat flour
40 g ground almonds
30 g ground pumpkin seeds
25 g walnuts, roughly chopped
15 g ground flaxseed (about 1½ tbsp)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine salt
1 tsp cinnamon, optional

To finish

Extra pumpkin seeds
Walnut pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°C fan. Line your small loaf tin (I used a 22cm x 11cm x 5cm tin) with baking paper.

In a bowl, mash the banana until mostly smooth. Whisk in the eggs, yoghurt and olive oil until combined.

In a second bowl, mix oat flour, ground almonds, ground pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until combined. Do not overmix.

Spoon into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the top and sprinkle with extra seeds or walnuts if using.

Bake for 50 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool fully in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

The riper the bananas, the better, as very spotty bananas bring extra sweetness and moisture. The batter is quite thick, so don’t be tempted to add extra liquid. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing, as the crumb continues to set as it cools. You can use either olive oil or melted butter; olive oil keeps the loaf lighter, while butter gives it a richer flavour.