There are so many banana bread recipes out there that the question should be asked - do we really need another one? But most banana breads are judged on their deliciousness which is directly proportional to the amount of sugar in them. The argument for this is a valid one - if you're going to eat cake, eat cake..enjoy cake...go and work cake off afterwards. However, if like me you are continuously on the search for the 'healthy option' that actually tastes good and couldn't double as a weapon, the recipe choices are limited. 
I believe in crediting the people that I get my recipe ideas from, intellectual property and all that jazz, so I must thank Darina Allen at Ballymaloe for starting me out with this one. I began with her recipe for gluten free banana bread (which was absolutely delicious I might add...) and twisted and turned it until I managed to take the sugar out and keep the taste and texture in thanks to these two additions to the recipe. Flax, cocoa and berries is a delicious mix to add to porridge or in yoghurt and works really well in this recipe for flavour and texture. Second is my new favourite ingredient is raw cacao - or rather, raw chocolate in its unprocessed state. Rich in iron, chromium, zinc and sulphur, this superfood is an excellent source of magnesium and has more antioxidants than our favourite superfoods, blueberries and goji berries! Also, if my kids see chocolate chips, they taste chocolate chips, so it makes this treat seem much bolder than it actually is! Lets get started then.....
Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free Banana Bread ...made with feathers from the wings of baby angels and a puff of unicorn breath (all ingredients available in your local healthfood shop)
Ingredients
110g softened butter (grass fed....not spread)
100g xylitol (if you want to add a tblsp of honey, for real the die hard sweet toothie, go for it)
2 large eggs
125g of Doves Farm White Flour mix (if you cant get this, use 100g of rice flour, 25g tapioca flour, 2 tsp of xantham gum)
50g of Flaxseed (I choose the one above due to its cocoa & berries content for flavour)
2 tblsp of raw cacao
2 tsp of gluten free baking powder
3 tblsp of coconut flour (I use this instead of cornflour)
Fresh Vanilla OR a capful of vanilla essence
1 tblsp of probiotic yoghurt (obviously needs to be left out for dairy free option).
2 x large mashed bananas (If, like my daughter, you love the idea of banana bread but not the bananas, peel and slice 3 apples and put them in a pot with some water at the bottom.....simmer for 8-10 mins until the apple softens, drain off the water and let them sit and steam until ready for use)
MACROS BREAKDOWN; (If cut into 15 slices) 129kcals, fat 9.2g, carbs 12.7g (fibre 2.2g, sugars 2.2g) protein 2.5g.
Directions
Turn the oven to 180 degrees (fan oven). In a bowl, mix the xylitol and butter until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time mixing well. Sift in the flour mix, coconut flour, baking powder then add the flaxseed, cacao, vanilla and if using it, the yoghurt. Your mix should look relatively sticky and dry.
From here, add your mashed bananas or apple and mix well. Other possibles to include here would be a sprinkle of cinnamon and a tblsp of currants if you like these flavours. Remember, currants are full of sugars so be mindful of this when it comes to portion control.
The mix should almost be wet enough to pour now. Pop it into a bread tin and bake for 30 mins (depending on your oven) sliding a knife into the centre before you remove from oven - if the knife comes out with lots of mix stuck to it, give the bread another 5 mins at a lower heat. If the knife comes out clean, you're ready to go! Turn out on a wire rack and eat toasted with butter - or on its own with a cup of tea
So there you have it, a relatively low calorie snack to go with a cup of tea, but much more nutritious than a fruit yoghurt or a diet bar!!! REMEMBER - a treat is a treat....no matter how low sugar it is, its still 129cals !!! Consider this if you are on a calorie/carb restricted diet and decide if its the way you want to spend your calorie allowance! Other than that, enjoy folks xxx
