Easy Banana Bread

Happy belated Easter!

Ok, well this isn't a real meal (or it could be, if you have a big sweet tooth) but I had to share this recipe because it is so unbelievably delicious; not to mention super moist! Banana bread recipes are generally run-of-the-mill, but I'd like to share with you this particular one that has slowly evolved in my kitchen. That being said there is nothing too fancy about it.

Chef's Tip: I have seen many other vegan chefs use the cider/soy milk mixture to create a make-shift buttermilk, so I have used that idea here. It helps create a super moist cake.

While I know this is a vegan blog, perhaps you'd like to know what buttermilk really is. Buttermilk is not 'buttery milk' (fattening), but rather the residual milk left after a person makes butter (back in the olden days). It is actually very low in fat. It is thicker due to bacteria (almost like watered down yoghurt). Of course, in the modern age, bacteria are added to force fermentation. This is no longer a natural occurrence.


Easy Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar, preferably raw
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup soy milk, full fat (not fat free)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups super ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 bananas)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl (you will eventually add all ingredients to this bowl), mix together soy milk and apple cider. Let stand for at least two minutes (for soy milk to curdle) while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Once 2 minutes have passed, add bananas, maple syrup, canola oil and vanilla to the soy milk mixture and stir well to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix only until just combined (never over mix cake batter!), quickly but gently fold in walnut and pour batter into the bread loaf.

Bake for an hour, or until a knife comes out clean. Let the loaf stand for about ½ hour before serving.