Are you unsure what to do with those spotty overripe bananas in your fruit bowl? Give them a proper send off with this fruit-sweetened banana bread loaf! In this post, learn how to make this reader favourite recipe with step-by-step photos and helpful kitchen tips.
This wholesome banana bread has quickly become a favourite recipe to date (geddit? ba-dum-tss).
It’s sweetened with fruit alone, just overripe bananas and big juicy flecks of dates scattered throughout the batter.
There’s no extra maple syrup, honey, or granulated sugars added. I promise, the fruit, along with cinnamon and vanilla, leaves it sweet enough.
As a Registered Nutritionist, I’m often asked for nutritious breakfast recipes and wholesome dessert recipes lower in added sugar (while satisfying a raging sweet tooth!). One approach is to celebrate fruit’s natural sweetness, which this banana bread with dates does.
Gather Ingredients
- Flour. This recipe uses regular stock standard flour (plain or gluten-free), as well as almond meal. The latter adds a glorious rustic vibe, and a boost of heart-healthy fats and dietary fibre.
- Really ripe bananas. Look for bananas that are yellow and streaked, with brown or black freckles. Absolutely no green! These will provide sweetness and a luscious deep banana flavour.
- Dates. Cooking dates down into a paste infuses an even caramel-sweetness throughout the batter, and encourages a moist, tender texture.
- Greek yoghurt. A magical underrated ingredient in baking, with a trio of perks here. Greek yoghurt adds creaminess, keeping the loaf moist for days; it imparts a very subtle tanginess to offset the sweetness; and its acidity helps activate baking soda, baking this fluffy and light.
You’ll also need the basics: leavenings (baking powder and baking soda), vanilla and cinnamon for flavour, eggs (size 7, around 62g each) and a pinch of all important salt.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Banana Date Loaf
Kitchen Tips
- Cool your cooked date puree in the fridge or freezer. This speed things up while you prepare other ingredients. Otherwise, brew yourself a tea, water the plants or put away the washing, and wait for it to reach room temperature!
- Sift dry ingredients. Sifting promotes consistency in the batter by breaking up larger lumps. So easy to say ‘meh!’ and skip, but please don’t friends.
- Gently fold. Folding is where you combine ingredients together without stirring, beating or agitating the mix. Instead, the lighter delicate mixture is placed on top of the heavier thicker one, again and again, until combined. Air becomes trapped into bubbles, helping it rise. Use a wide flexi spatula here.
- Don’t overmix. This can lead to a denser loaf – boo! Mix ingredients until the batter is just evenly incorporated.
- Size matters. A different sized or shaped tin may need an adjusted baking time. Test done-ness with a fork or toothpick – if it comes out clean you’re good.
- Cover with foil. If you notice the top of your loaf starting to over-brown in the last 10 minutes or so of baking, use foil to your aid by loosely covering.
- Mix-ins? Make this loaf your own. It’s be ace with a handful of chocolate chips, raisins or walnuts tossed through the batter before baking!
Plate Up
This banana date loaf is the perfect breakfast or snack slathered with nut butter, ricotta & honey or just classic beloved butter. Kick back with a cup of tea and enjoy!
I love serving it warm as a wholesome dessert along with a dollop of ice cream. If I’m not feeling it anymore, I’ll repurpose it into a delectable bread and butter pudding. There’s oodles of inspiration for recipes online.
Thanks for reading! If you give this recipe a go, I hope you love it. It’s a favourite and took many loving attempts to get right. Are you a mega-fan of bananas, like me? Be sure to try this creamy banana porridge or these banana oat cookies next time you have spotty bananas in the fruit bowl🍌
Nutritious Banana Bread Loaf with Dates
Rating:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pitted dates with ½ cup water
- 3 very ripe bananas, medium
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 1 cup flour (plain or gluten-free)
- 1 cup almond meal*
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder (use gluten-free if required)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- A good pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup plain greek yoghurt**
Method:
- Finely chop dates. Add to a small saucepan with the water measure. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until the water has evaporated – this will take less than five minutes.
- Remove from heat and leave to cool to room temperature. To speed up the process, scoop date mixture into a bowl and place in the fridge or freezer.
- Preheat oven to bake 160 degree Celsius. Line a loaf tin with baking paper (I used a 25cm long x 12 cm wide rectangular tin – a different shaped tin might produce different thicknesses and require a slightly different cooking time).
- Add to a mixing bowl the bananas. Mash with a fork or potato masher. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla essence.
- Sift in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add almond meal and date puree. Using a spatula, gently fold together until just evenly incorporated.
- Add yoghurt and gently fold through – be careful not to overmix!
- Bake in the oven for 1 hour. It’s best baked in the middle the oven, not the top. If it looks like it’s starting to overbrown, cover loaf loosely with foil the last 10 or so minutes of baking. Check to see it’s cooked by inserting something thin and sharp into the middle to the loaf e.g. toothpick or knife (it should come out pretty clean, if not, keep it in for a smidge longer).
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in tin. Remove from tin, slice and enjoy!
Notes:
*Almond meal is almonds that have been finely ground into a flour-like consistency. In NZ you’ll usually find this in the baking section of supermarkets where the nuts and seeds are.
Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe
If you enjoyed this dish, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help others discover my recipes online (and your reviews make my day! 🙂 ). Happy cooking and baking. Danijela x
137 Comments
5 stars – loved it!
So happy to hear you liked it Jane! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback.
I’m so excited to have all (almost!) the ingredients to bake this tomorrow… is there anything I can use instead of yogurt since I have none? 🙁
Hi Krista! Oo exciting! I haven’t tried making it without yoghurt. You could try coconut cream maaaybe – but as I haven’t tried it, I can’t promise on the end product. I hope you enjoy it if you go ahead and make it x
Hi
If you have no yoghurt try butter milk.
Buttermilk can be made with ordinary milk add lemon juice or whit vinegar, leave to sit and it will curdle a bit, hey presto you have buttermilk.
I use yoghurt, buttermilk and even sour cream to lighten cakes and muffins, So should work for bana bread.
I’m looking forward th making this recipe as it does use copious amounts of vegetable oil.
Great tip Jenni! One to try for sure. Thank you for your insight.
Hi,
Can I replace Almond meal with equal amount of flour or any other replacement?
Hey Amit – I haven’t tried replacing it, but I reckon you could replace it with flour and it should turn out okay! Happy baking – hope it turns out okay if you do.
I am SO excited to try this! Do you know how many calories are in each slice? Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Danielle! So nice to hear your enthusiasm, this is a favourite recipe of mine from the blog so I do hope you try it! I’m not sure the calorie/macro breakdown for it, sorry. A platform I used to use in Nutrition Practise to check the nutrition breakdown was Cronometer – they have a nifty free calculator (which also breaks down micronutrient comp too!). Depending on how you cut it (the thickness) will be a key consideration xx
Could you sub the flour for buckwheat flour?
Hi there, I have done some research and as buckwheat is a denser flour it may not be the best 1:1 swap – I think more so better in recipes that do not need to rise (e.g.cookies). You could probably use it in combination with lighter flours, maybe aiming to replace 50% of the regular flour. I hope this helps xx
Hi, would this work with whole meal spelt flour in place of the flour?
Hi Jen! Thanks for your message. I haven’t tried it myself, so I cannot say for sure. I’ve done a bit of research and I think white spelt is AOK in a 1:1 ratio swap with regular flour, but whole meal spelt may work better with just a portion swapped (e.g. 1/2 cup spelt, 1/2 cup flour). In saying that, it might be great!
If you do an total swap maybe just keep an eye on the texture – if it’s dry, it may need more moisture (the fibre in whole meal may soak up more liquid I am thinking?). I am all for adventures in the kitchen, so good luck if you give it a go 🙂 x
Thank you! The wholemeal spelt flour sub was a success. I added 1/4 cup more water to the date paste mixture and a little more yoghurt, and it was lovely and moist. 5 stars from me 😀
Jen, thank you for coming back and sharing your success! That’s awesome feedback for anyone else with wholemeal spelt in the kitchen. So glad you liked it xx
This ones a keeper recipe! Always go back to it when I have overripe bananas. A hit in this household🙌🏻
Hi Jill! Thank you for your kind feedback and rating. So happy to hear you reckon it’s a keeper! 🙂 Enjoy x
Have made this morning, omg it is sooooo good. I used 3/4 cup wholemeal flour as only had 1/4cup of almond. Added extra yoghurt & chopped walnuts. My yoghurt is sugar free & I left out the salt.
Absolutely delicious, I’ll be making again & again & again. A keeper of a recipe.
Thanks for your kind feedback Vicki! =) So glad you enjoyed it xx
I’ve made this three times in the latest lockdown and it has worked a treat every time. I find chopping the dates finely is key and the addition of Greek yoghurt is genius. Works well as muffins too. With a coeliac in the house we make it gf, but it stays lovely and moist all the way to the end, although that is not usually very long as it is so delicious !
Thanks Nicole! So neat to hear it has been a lockdown repeat in your household. Great tips with the dates! x
I love this recipe and have made a few adjustments to suit my taste. I used bran instead of flour and added walnuts. It is beautiful and moist and keeps well.Thank you for an amazing and healthy recipe
Hi Rosita – thank you for this lovely comment! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed it, and love the substitution ideas. I’m definitely going to give your suggestions a try myself – walnuts, yum 🙂
This worked well, thanks for the recipe! I substituted regular flour for the almond flour and coconut yogurt for Greek yogurt.
So happy to hear, thanks Stephanie! 🙂 Appreciate the substitute feedback – great to know. Enjoy x
I love this recipe. I have adapted it to substitute the bananas for cooked pumpkin and walnut or stewed apples and raisins. Sooo yummy
I’m so glad to hear Greg! Thanks for the feedback and tips – I will have to give both a go!
Can I make it without eggs? Would love to try it for my 3 years old if there’s some substitute for egg!
Hi Anushree! Thanks for your comment. I haven’t tried it with egg substitute, but it MAY work. The first place I’d start would be a flax eggs (flaxseed + water). Each ‘flax egg’ can substitute 1x regular egg. If you give it a go, I’d love to know how it works for you 🙂 x
This is a recipe you could try – https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/
Rather than a loaf I make muffins…great for breakfast or a healthy protein enriched snack on the run. Always have some in the freezer followed the recipe as stated. It’s great thank you.
What a great idea – thanks for the tip! x
Delicious. I will make this again
So glad you liked it Yasmin! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback.
Hello
Thank you for this recipe, and I plan on making it.
The recipe calls for almond meal. Can I use almond flour? It does consist of almonds only. I am a Kiwi living in Canada, and sometimes the terminology gets a little confusing. Thank you Danijela for your reply.
Hey Yvonne, thanks for your question! Almond flour is AOK – as long as it’s 100% ground almonds it’ll work well. I prefer almonds that have had their skins removed and then ground, but you can also use ground almonds with their skin on (it’ll be a browner colour) – the latter will just be a bit more ‘rustic’ texture-wise, but it’s really just a small thing :). The terminology can get confusing for sure, it can mean different things in different places around the world! I hope you enjoy it, it’s one of my favourite recipes on here xx
Thank you for your reply Danijel. I am really looking forward to making this recipe. And no sugar which is wonderful for my health, and I’m sure for others also.
I appreciate the work you put into all your recipes.
Blessings Yvonne
Love this recipe. So easy, healthy and yummy. Thanks!
Thank you for your kind comment Sascha! So glad you like the recipe, it’s one of my favourites on the blog <3 x
Such a lovely change to the usual banana loaves I have found. My house smells amazing while it’s cooking and the family cannot wait to try it. Thank you so much for sharing x
Thanks so much for the lovely comment Sophie, I hope you enjoyed the loaf xx
I use GF flour and added some Walnuts and Pumpkin seeds for a little texture with great success, Moist and very moreish.
Thank you for a great recipe. It has gone on my favourite list.
So lovely to hear Ann! Thank you for the kind review and tips xx Love your addition of walnuts and pumpkin seeds!
Delicious, light and fluffy, thank you 🙏
So great to hear, thanks Andrew 🙂
I replace the yoghurt with almond milk and it is just as good.
Thanks for the tip Christina! <3
Fabulous recipe, easy to make, quite healthy & super delicious!
Will definitely be making again & again!
Thank you for your kind comment and review Rach – so glad you enjoyed it! x
Just made it and it was so moist and flavoursome omg I will be making it again! Do you have the “Nutritional Information” please?
Thank you for your kind comment, I’m so glad you like the recipe Dawn! It’s a favourite of mine from the blog 🙂 I don’t post a nutritional information panel alongside recipes, but do recommend Cronometer for any nutrition analysis – it’s very accurate. I hope that helps xx
Hi, can I replace the plain flour for either another cup of Almond Meal or coconut flour?
Thank you
Hi Rosi, you can swap the plain flour for almond meal in a 1:1 swap. I wouldn’t advise the coconut flour as it is much more absorbant so there would also need to be adjustment to wet ingredients too. I hope that helps xx
Easy recipe, delicious outcome will make this again and refer others. I added pecan nuts for a bit of variety. Thankyou Danijela for sharing this 👍🤣
So glad you enjoyed it Margot! I love the pecan idea – yum x
I love that the banana bread loaf is mixed all by hand – such an easy recipe with a delicious result!
Thank you so much for the kind words Chris =) I agree re mixing by hand – the less kitchen tools, the less clean up, the better!
Just made this morning and went down a treat with Husband’s diabetic family. So easy and I’m not the world’s greatest cook, tips were really helpful. I put Cacao crunch topper on the top. It’s a Woolies Macro Brand in Australia, has seeds, honey, almonds, cacao, puffed quinoa & cinnamon mix. We thank you for your recipe.
Thank you for your kind comment Kathryn! So glad the tips were helpful too 🙂 Love your suggestion re the cacao crunch topper, that sounds delish!
This recipe is fab. Best banana bread on the internet.
Aw, thanks for your lovely comment Jessica! So glad you liked it 🙂 x
Only had one egg but the result was still delicious. I also added too much yoghurt. A bit heavier. Could you use self raising flour instead of baking soda?
Thanks for an interesting alternative. Very healthy.
Thank you for the kind review and rating Marianne! It’s great to know it was still good with the recipe modifications. I add the baking soda to react with the yoghurt, so my thoughts would be to rather sub the plain flour for self-raising and remove the baking powder, but leave the baking soda? I haven’t tested it though, so can’t conform it’ll turn out like the original x
i used four very ripe bananas and added a few walnuts was absolutely
yummy, no fail receipe and i will make it again and pass it on
Thanks for your lovely comment Alana! So glad you enjoyed this x
This so so good! I’ve made so many healthy banana loafs over the years and they always go dry quickly – this one I made yesterday and it’s still super moist:)
Woohoo! That’s so great to hear, thanks Tina 🙂 xx
Our absolute favourite banana bread – good rise to it and so moist! Healthy too 🙂
Thanks Kata, so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I can’t eat dairy so greek yogurt doesn’t work for me. What would you suggest I sub for that, or can I just omit it?
Hi Nicole, thanks for your message. I’ve had a few people do a 1:1 substitute with plain coconut yoghurt and they’ve said it worked well, which would be my recommendation. If you give it a go, I hope you enjoy it x
We have lots of bananas here in the Philippines and I’ve made this many times. This is our favorite banana bread recipe of all. Not too sweet and oh so moist! Super love love the taste of this.
Thank you for your lovely comment Lorena 🙂 I travelled earlier to the Phillipines this year and had such a great time – the best mangoes ever! xx
Very tasty & easy to make. It even worked cooking it in the air fryer, I just adjusted the shape of the tin (flatter & wider), temp and cooking time slightly to accommodate for that. You really don’t miss the lack of processed sugar in the recipe, the natural sugars from the fruit is all it needs!
Hey Pen, you blew my mind with the air fryer tip, I wouldn’t have ever thought of that – genius! And agreed, I reckon the date pasta/banana combo is totally sweet enough (and I have a sweet tooth heh). Thanks for your comment and kind rating xx
This recipe is amazing. No added sugar and no butter or oil. The texture is amazing. I added 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Thank you D
So glad you like it Ross – the extra walnuts is a fabulous idea!
soooo delicious! easy to make healthy whats not to love❤
Thank you for your kind comment and rating Deb – so happy you enjoyed it! x
I cooked it and like it very much. Thank you for the recipe.
Pleasure, thank you Zhanna! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Loved all the components of this recipe! Followed the recipe exactly and added chopped walnuts! Had to bake an extra 15 minutes. Looking forward to trying it! Thanks again!
Thanks for giving it a whirl Liliana – I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 Baking time can be a finicky one hey. Sometimes the moisture of ingredients, pan size/shape, even the altitude we live at can influence how much longer (or shorter) we bake for. Thanks for your patience while it baked away x
Best recipe ever. Not bread like and heavy, just a light, moist, very tasty cake type confection. I used buttermilk and and a whole orange whipped in a high powered blender instead of yoghurt and it still worked, with the extra orange flavor added in. Awesome!
Thanks for your lovely review Anne! <3 Love the tip on using buttermilk and orange. Such a great idea that I'm sure others will find helpful x
Delicious and moist.i will be making this again.
Thank you Carmel! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 x
Thank you for creating a NUTRITIOUS recipe, rather than using the meaningless buzzword “healthy” that I saw tacked on every other recipe online. I’ll be staying around.
Brenda, thank you so much <3 Working as a nutritionist, every day I remind myself to be mindful of my language. I'm so glad it resonates xx
Thank you for the lovely recipe. Going to try it out today/tomorrow.
Could please let me know what is 1 cup in grams? Is it 120g or 250g. I always get confused with this cup measurements. Thank you.
Hi Riya, thanks for your comment and question. I really do need to get around to adding gram measurements to my baking recipes, it’s a much more accurate way to bake! The gram weight will vary based on the ingredient – for the flour around 120g, and the almond meal will be a little less at 96g. Thanks for trying the recipe, I hope you enjoy it xx
Loved it.baked in a glass loaf pan which took much longer to cook. About another half hour. Will try a metal pan next time or perhaps bake at 350f instead of 320f. Nicely sweet and very moist.
Hi Vicki, so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, metal pans, especially dark-coloured ones, tend to absorb and retain heat more quickly, which can lead to faster cooking times (opposed to glass). This loaf has a high moisture content (mashed banana, yoghurt), so it would have needed the extra time for sure. Thanks for your insight, it’s helpful xx
This is a delicious recipe!
I used frozen bananas from my freezer (thawed) and added both the heated dates and bananas into the food processor along with eggs and vanilla.
Then followed the recipe accordingly. It took 1.5 hrs to cook and was moist and delicious served warm with butter 😍
So glad you enjoyed it Julie! Cool to hear it worked blending the dates with the bananas, I bet that would have infused a nice even date-caramel flavour throughout xx
Really love this recipe. This will be a regular for me. I like the idea that the sweetness comes from the banana and dates instead of adding sugar and the yogurt substitutes fat. Thanks for sharing this.
Delighted to hear you like the recipe Anne 🙂 Thank you for your kind comment and rating.
Loved this recipe. 39 weeks pregnant and wanted a recipe to incorporate some dates (IYKYK) and this was the perfect one. Wondering if cut into slices and wrapped individually if it would freeze well? Thanks
Hi Suzie, haha I love that! Yes, it freezes well – best to slice and wrap it individually, as you said. Enjoy the home stretch x
Such a stellar recipe, thanks Danijela! The dates and banana combo deliver moistness, depth of flavour and all the necessary sweetness, yum! The only change I made was subbed wholemeal for white flour and topped my loaf with flaked almonds – both of which worked a treat. A slice has been ticking all the breakfast boxes this week, topped with fresh ricotta, a drizzle of peanut butter + seasonal blackberries. Will be making again.
Thank you for your lovely and thoughtful comment Lily! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Love your serving suggestion…yum xx
very easy gluten free cake without sugar added
Thank you so much Joan, really glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Been making banana cakes for many years, I love this one because it has no sugar or butter (partner is a diabetic) , the other great thing is it can be all made in one bowl so easy to clean up ! And it’s a great banana cake , the date adds so much interest and natural sweetness .
Hi Cherry, thank you for the awesome feedback – really glad you enjoyed it! x
Mine came out a bit too wet for my liking. Not sure whether it was the Greek yogurt or the water in date puree. The bottom of the baking tin between the parchment paper was wet with condensation after the bake. Sweetness was just about right.
Hi Elmer, thank you for giving the recipe and go and leaving honest feedback. Sorry it hear it was a bit too moist – that’s not my desired outcome for you! It’s possible that one or more of ingredients had a higher moisture content (there can be a bit of variation based on yoghurt brand or banana ripeness, as well as how cooked down the date puree is – the water should evaporate/mix into a paste), which would in theory affect the baking time. I like to stick a skewer in the middle to test it’s done, but of course it’s a balancing act to not over-bake it too (which is where the foil on top can help). Sorry again, I hope it was yummy anyway x
Hi
I’m looking for some healthy recipes by a nutritionist and so gladthat I’ve found your blog. Can you make this into muffins instead? Would it be possible to have a button in the recipe where we can toggle between US customary and Metric as we used the metric over here in Australia? Thanks., Lyn
Hi Lyn, thanks for your query and kind words – glad to have you here! Yes, I’ve had a few readers say they can be baked into muffins. Keep the temperature the same at 160 degrees Celsius (or 320 degrees Fahrenheit), to ensure they still bake evenly without burning the exterior. Start checking for doneness around 20 minutes into baking, though they may need more time. Use a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, they’re done. Great idea re a toggle button – I’ll look into that! x
All my family love this healthy cake. They even enjoy it for breakfast. I also add grated whole apple in place of yoghurt which assists in moisture.
Thank you so much for your kind words and rating Vicki – so happy to hear it’s a hit! x
My go to when friends and family pop in for coffee/tea.
Super easy and super delicious.
So lovely to hear this one’s a go-to! Thanks for your comment Trudy xx
I’ve made this recipe many times now but this last time was my favourite. Made dairy free using coconut yoghurt, and baked it in a cake tin for my son’s 1st birthday… dressed up with some icing of course! The perfect 1st birthday cake with no added sugar, but sweet enough for all to enjoy. Thanks Danijela 🙂
Hi Eva, thanks for your lovely comment – it makes my heart happy to hear this recipe was the cake feature of your son’s 1st birthday! Love the idea of using coconut yoghurt. I hope you had a fun day celebrating x
Loved this i have homemade date paste in my freezer but for this recipe i actually used Woolies date syrup (contains no added sugars) 1/3 cup. Was quicker for this am. We eat lots of banana bread here the 3 year old twins love it and this will be my new go to recipe no added sugar, more than sweet enough, quick and easy. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the helpful comment Mari. I hadn’t considered date syrup below – clever! It would indeed be quicker. Glad to hear this is a hit with your 3 year old twins, that’s music to my ears 🙂
Absolutely loved this recipe. The bread came out so moist and perfect! I am new to baking and this recipe makes me feel like a super chef. I wish I could share the pics. I used the measurements/proportions provided in the recipe. So yummy 🙂
Hi Rima! Thanks for your lovely comment, so stoked to hear it made you feel like a super chef 🙂 The best feedback. Big hugs x
My friend made this and it was delicious! Just wondering if you have know the calories etc?
Hi Yvette, thanks for the kind words, I’m glad you enjoyed it! For a loaf that’s divided into 10 servings, each slice is approximately 203 calories. If you cut it into more or fewer slices, just adjust the calorie count accordingly. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask x
Just bake this last night and it is yummy. I love the natural sweetness and not having to add sugar. The bread came out most and fluffy. I did the gluten free version with Almond flour. I added a few chocolate chips on top for a bit of decoration. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the lovely feedback Jules. Glad to hear it was moist and fluffy 🙂 Chocolate chips are always a great idea! x
Love the fact that I can use the dates as sweetener
Thanks Barb for your kind feedback, I agree it’s nice to rely on the sweetness of fruit! Danijela x
Best banana bread I have made so far! I added a handful of chopped pecan nuts and some chopped dark chocolate. Delicious!!
Thanks so much Emma! So glad you enjoyed it. Pecans and dark choc sounds like a brilliant idea.
This recipe is a keeper! I used LSA instead of almond meal and crumbled walnuts on top.
Thanks for the kind words Ali! Awesome to know LSA works well. Love the addition of walnuts over the top. Yum! x
Making it as we speak! But I can’t see anything about pureeing the dates…🤔
Hi Sue, thanks for your kind comment and review! You don’t need to puree the dates for this recipe, as they cook they break down into a chunky soft paste which should disburse nicely through the batter. A few larger chunks are great as they give nice bursts of flavour. The second photo in the step-by-step snaps will show you the consistency and texture we’re after cooking on the stovetop. I hope you enjoyed the loaf 🙂 x
Oh dear….this is just too good…I could hardly wait for it to cool and the aroma was amazing!! Thank you 🥰
Such lovely feedback – thank you Sue! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hello!
The recipe tastes exactly like a regular banana bread which is great!
Unfortunately, it didn’t bake through even though it was in the oven for over an hour! I followed the the recipe as it is, the oven was at 160 C and the pan’s size is close to the one you used. What could be the reason? 🤔
Hi Eman,
Thank you for trying the recipe and for your comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavour, but I’m sorry it didn’t bake through—that must have been frustrating.
The most likely reason is excess moisture in the batter, which can happen if the bananas were larger then medium/regular yoghurt was used instead of Greek yoghurt, as it tends to be runnier/the dates weren’t cooked down enough into a puree.
Oven temperature accuracy could also be a factor—if the oven runs slightly cooler than 160°C (even when set correctly), it might need extra time. An oven thermometer can be helpful to check the temperature is accurate.
That said, the best indicator for doneness is testing with a skewer before pulling it out of the oven. If the skewer comes out sticky or moist, bake a little longer and tent with foil to prevent over-browning.
I hope these tips help, and I’d love to hear how it goes if you give it another try.
Danijela xx
I’ve been looking for a recipe such as this and even though I haven’t made it yet I can see that it’s a winner. Making this on the weekend for grandchildren as it’s a lot healthier than most loaves, that’s for posting
Thank you kindly Maureen, so glad you like the look of it! I hope you enjoy it if you make it, especially your grandchildren 🙂