Perhaps one of the most made recipes of 2020 up there with sourdough, banana bread is such a tried and true classic comfort. It makes perfect sense. Baking is so therapeutic. A beautiful art of slowing down, calming, with a bit of chemistry to get the perfect rise, texture, etc. This past year has been just that. A time warp. Turning towards things we can control, that cannot be rushed, and that simultaneously comfort our aching souls is exactly the medicine we all need, no matter where on the emotional spectrum we land.
When polling my Instagram family on if I should add cardamom and ginger to my banana walnut bread a good friend pointed out… Yes. That is a silly question. I couldn’t agree more, which is why I went for it the legit minute after I posted the poll! hehe. Time waits for no baker.
As always, I love adapting recipes to offer more allergen friendly, cleaner alternatives. So this one is of course processed sugar free with only coconut palm sugar. And as always, gluten-free amp; vegan. You can use brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar (equal parts) if that is what you have on hand.
Feel free to make this recipe with other flours like all-purpose (gluten-free or not), a 1:1 baking flour, millet, oat, etc. When you start swapping with grain-free flours like almond and coconut the ratios and textures begin to change. I have not tested those out with this yet. If you do, let me know how it goes! And I’ll report back the same when I at some point test out the grain-free version :)
If you’re nut-free, the walnuts can be left behind without any replacement. Or if you aren’t, try playing with other nuts like pecans… yummm!
This recipe can also be made sans cardamom and ginger. The only difference will be the flavor. I chose to include them as warming to the body, heart, spirit additions that complement each other and the other flavors so well.
Cardamom and ginger both also offer wonderful digestive support. I like using both of these together, along with cinnamon, to warm me up on an emotional amp; physical level.
I’d love to hear how you weave in various herbs, spices, and ingredients to support your physical, emotional, spiritual being. Let me know in the comments below!
look at that steam. still hot from the oven. YUM.
Cardamom Ginger Banana Walnut Bread
Yields 1 loaf
INGREDIENTS
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (about 2 bananas)
2 tbsp flaxmeal + 6 tbsp warm water
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/4 cups coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I use pink fine ground Himalayan)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon powder
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 drops doTERRA cardamom essential oil, optional* (or 1 tsp cardamom powder)
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root, optional (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
*PLEASE DO NOT consume just any old essential oil, they are not all created equal. It is an unregulated industry and many companies use fillers and very questionable hazardous to ingest ingredients. I have been using doTERRA for 5 years now and the only reason I do is because they have 3rd party lab test results of every single batch of oil that you can look up the spec report for online (each bottle has a code that links it to it’s spec report). To learn more about essential oils + safety click here.
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C)
In a large mixing bowl whisk flaxmeal with water and set aside to become flax “egg”
In a separate medium mixing bowl combine sorghum, tapioca, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.
Add bananas, oil, sugar, vanilla, cardamom oil, and ginger to flax “egg” mixture
Slowly add the dry mix to the wet, whisking to well incorporate.
Fold in 1/2 cup of walnuts
Coat a bread pan very well with coconut oil
Pour batter into bread pan and top with remaining walnuts, pressing them gently down into place
Bake for 45 minutes
Cover with foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes (this step will help prevent burning on top, keep the moisture locked in, but get the desired thorough cook)
Check with a fork to make sure batter is fully cooked before removing
When done, remove from oven, remove the foil, and let cool
Once cool (or at least cooler) carefully remove from pan, slice, and enjoy!
Store in a sealed container or wrapped in plastic or bees wrap.
This freezes well! Pre-slice for a quick snack. Toast to heat up and enjoy!
Try enjoying it toasted with some coconut oil or vegan butter (I’m currently loving Miyoko’s Cultured Butter) for extra decadent goodness! YUM.
