Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

Okay, so my husband has been asking me for weeks to make him some banana bread, but we've been eating so many bananas lately that they never got ripe enough to work with! I just noticed yesterday that there were 3 overly ripe bananas that needed to be used, so I figured banana bread would be the perfect way to do it!

I tried to switch it up by adding two different flavors swirled together; one chocolate and the other cinnamon. I didn't exactly get the swirled effect I was hoping for, but you can sort of tell there are two different flavors in there...anyway it still tastes good, and that's what matters anyway! It is also quite fluffy for a coconut flour loaf. It is a little dry, but I found it went very well with some fresh banana slices and a glass of milk!

The version I made is mix-in free, but I think it would be lovely with some walnuts or raisins mixed in. I'd also like to note that I prefer a slightly bitter taste to my chocolate, so if you have a sweet tooth you may want to add in some extra honey. Adjust the recipe to fit your personal preference, there's no rules in the kitchen. :)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Cup + 1 TBSP Coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 3 Medium very ripe soft bananas
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp Almond butter (or other nut butter. For nut-free you can try coconut butter instead)
• 1 TBSP Raw local honey
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Melted coconut oil, divided in half (plus more for greasing pan)
• Optional mix-ins like nuts or raisins (1/2 to 1 Cup should be a good amount)
  

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper and grease with coconut oil. I'm sure you can do this without the parchment paper if you prefer, I just feel it helps when removing the loaf.

Combine 1/4 cup of the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Mash your bananas until mostly mush with a few lumps here and there. I find it easiest to use your hands to do this, although it does get messy. I'm sure, if you have a little helper in the kitchen, kids would love this part!

Whisk the 4 eggs together in your mixing bowl and add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Blend until incorporated, then slowly mix in the prepared coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and place back into the medium bowl, add the cinnamon plus 1 TBSP coconut flour to the cup you removed and stir well. Set aside for now. We will be adding coconut oil shortly, but I recommend adding it right before baking as it tends to solidify in the cold ingredients if not cooked promptly.

In the big mixing bowl with the non-cinnamon mixture, add your cocoa powder, almond butter, and honey. Blend well, scraping the edges of the bowl. Now I know this has raw eggs, but you may want to taste the batter to make sure it's sweet enough for you. I like mine slightly bitter. And yes, I am aware of Salmonella. I don't think one finger full of batter will harm you. Add 1/4 cup of coconut oil to the chocolate batter and blend well, it will be slightly runny.

Finished chocolate batter without any mix-ins

Next add 1/4 cup of coconut oil to the cinnamon batter and mix well to fully incorporate. Stir in any optional mix-ins to either of the batters if you chose to use them (my recipe didn't include any). The cinnamon batter should be slightly thicker than the chocolate batter.

Finished cinnamon batter without any mix-ins

Pour the cinnamon batter in the bottom of your loaf pan and spread evenly, then pour the chocolate layer over top of it. Take the end of a knife or skewer and twirl batters together to make a slightly swirled effect. Maybe you can make yours look more swirly than mine!

Pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until slightly springy to touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly before removing from pan. Slice into strips and enjoy. :)

Mmm, so good with fresh banana slices!