Food:

Oatmeal Banana Bread

1c. oats (preferably gluten-free)

3/4c. walnuts, divided

1/3c. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

4 ripe bananas

1/2c. nut milk (I used Homemade Coconut Milk)

2 tsp. vanilla

6 T. coconut oil (if solid gently melt)

6 T. pure maple syrup

1/4c. sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and whole almonds- chopped

3/4c. vegan chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Start by lining a loaf pan with parchment paper and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Next place the oats and 1/2c. walnuts in the food processor, process until it looks like flour. Be sure not to over mix.

 3. Place the oat/walnut flour into a large bowl, one that is big enough to add the other ingredients to. Add the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to this mixture and mix well with a whisk or fork.

4. Next place the banana’s, nut milk, vanilla, coconut oil and pure maple syrup into the food processor, process until all the ingredients are mixed well. The scent of this mixture is heavenly. Add this mixture to the dry mixture. FOLD all the ingredients together, DON’T OVERMIX!

5. Now add the chopped almonds, the remaining 1/4c. walnuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and chocolate chips. Fold these in gently. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. (Check the banana bread by inserting a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean it’s ready) Let cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition:

Nuts and seeds- With their gold mine of healthy minerals and their niacin and folic-acid contents, seeds are an excellent nutrition package. They are among the better plant sources of iron and zinc. In fact, one ounce of pumpkin seeds contains almost twice as much iron as three ounces of skinless chicken breast. And they provide more fiber per ounce than nuts. They are also good sources of protein. Each seed has its own individual bang for its bite, reasearch each on and be amazed.

Coconut Flour- Coconut flour has a low glycemic index, which means it’ll keep you fuller for longer and gives you steady, balanced energy. Not to mention its 58% fiber content, ranking it the higher than bran!

Banana’s- They soothe the stomach and strengthen the lining against acid and ulcers. Has antibiotic activity. Bananas feed the natural acidophilus bacteria of the bowel. They are high in potassium which benefits the muscular system.

Oats- Oats provide and abundance of antioxidants and lignans which help protect against cancer and help stabilize blood sugar levels. Rolled oats, which are minimally processed are slightly less beneficial than steel-cut or whole oat groats.

Love:

This yummy, decadent, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN Oatmeal Banana Bread will blow your mind, it is very similar to my Banana Date Muffins, but without the dairy. With the addition of the oat/walnut flour (which I learned about from My New Roots, and was the inspiration for this heavenly creation) this Oatmeal Banana Bread is on a whole other level. I have made it twice now and we (me, Billy and everyone who I served it to last week) are in love. Get in the kitchen and make a loaf, it’s easy-I SWEAR! Enjoy!