Banana Bread with Granola Crumble

A Girl Can Dream

Picture this: it’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and the baby is napping. You clean the house top to bottom, put all the dishes and laundry away, balance the checkbook, then do a nice little 20 minute home workout. After all that, the baby is still napping so you go get a piping hot cup of coffee and a warm slice of fresh banana bread from the kitchen. You curl up with your cozy fleece blanket and enjoy your snack while listening to the melodious birds outside your window.  Paradise. *sigh*

This is what I WANTED to happen when I made my banana bread, but honestly, those afternoons almost never happen. What actually happened was: I left the kitchen a mess, went to sit down on the couch with my coffee and banana bread when I heard, “MAMAAAA!” from upstairs. I ended up drinking lukewarm coffee and sharing my banana bread with Zemirah while simultaneously folding laundry (then re-folding after Z dragged it off the couch). The banana bread was so good and the company so cute, that I couldn’t help but enjoy my afternoon even though it wasn’t picture perfect.

Whatever your idea of the perfect day is, one bite of this banana bread and you will be transported to your own personal paradise! It’s cozy, warm, and perfect for the cooling weather, to either enjoy yourself or share with your little ones. No need to worry about sugar content making them hyper, because it is both gluten free and refined sugar free!

I have discovered the wonders of coconut sugar and will not be looking back! If you are wondering where to get coconut sugar, you can get it right here on Amazon as a multi-pack or a single bag. This is the brand I use and I absolutely love it; it smells amazing and adds a nutty/caramel flavor to baked goods. Yum! This recipe was also my first time baking with a gluten free flour mix so I was a little worried, but it turned out great! I used this blend of rice flours and tapioca starch; it rose beautifully and the texture is wonderful. (These are both affiliate links, but truly the brands I used with this recipe and others, and will continue to in the future!) If you need coconut sugar and/or gluten free flour, use the links, you’ll have them at your door in two days, then you can bake guilt-free to your heart’s content.

Other than the coconut sugar and gluten free flour, everything else is standard banana bread ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen! This is perfect for either breakfast or an afternoon snack, slathered with butter or ghee, and enjoyed with your favorite hot beverage. The laundry pile is optional.

Banana Bread with Granola Crumble

Makes one loaf or 15 muffins.

Ingredients:

For the bread:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

For the granola crumble:

• 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup of walnuts
• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• Grease either a loaf pan or muffin tins and set aside
• Mash bananas with a fork
• Add in the rest of the wet ingredients
• Stir until well combined
• In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (for bread only, not the crumble)
• Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients
• Stir until well combined
• Pour batter into pan (3/4 of the way full for muffins)
• Make granola crumble by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulsing until walnuts are chopped and it comes together loosely
• Top batter with crumble, pressing down slightly
• Bake 35-45 minutes for loaf (10-12 minutes for muffins), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
• Cool completely before slicing
• Store, covered, in refrigerator for a week

Whatever your personal paradise might be, I am almost certain it involves healthy baked goods 😉 Let this banana bread transport you there…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!