vanilla bananas
December 8, 2010 Some guessed I was making vanilla extract. That is something I’ve wanted to do for awhile now, but haven’t gotten around to it.
Some guessed more vanilla farro or another new vanilla nut butter.
Good guesses, but not correct!
Hmmm, just vanilla? Nahhh, let’s throw some cinnamon in the mix while we’re at it. If I had to choose 5 of my favorite ingredients, it would go something like this…
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- oats
- almonds
- bananas
No oats were included in this recipe, but maybe next time that will have to change.
Any guesses yet?
flax egg : oil + almond butter mixture : mashed banana
Vanilla bean cinnamon banana bread anyone?
Never knew you could make banana bread fancy?? Well now you can!
I was worried the vanilla wouldn’t come through enough. However, once it started baking I knew everything was going to be okay. It smelled amazing! I only used 2 bananas so they wouldn’t overpower the vanilla + cinnamon flavors.
When I was coming up with the recipe, I wrote down 2c whole wheat pastry flour. When I looked in the cabinet, I realized there was only about 1c left. In a slight panic I checked my flour stash and found that I had spelt flour. I’m pretty sure you can use either interchangeably in this recipe. I’ve never used spelt flour for baking, but with this bread, it turned out perfectly!
It had a nice light texture. Not too dense or too airy. It was just right. The bread was perfectly moist from the bananas + vanilla infused almond milk.
Oh. And this recipe is vegan. Although I’m sure, you can just swap out a real egg instead of the flax egg and get great results! It will probably even rise better. One thing I don’t like about vegan baking is that muffins + breads tend to look flat.
However, I also read that spelt flour does not rise as well as whole wheat flour. Interesting!
A mellow banana flavor with a nice balance of vanilla and cinnamon. I was extremely pleased with the way you could taste + smell all three ingredients!
Vanilla Bean Cinnamon Banana Bread [vegan]
- 2c whole grain spelt flour
- 2 very ripe bananas [medium size]
- 1/4c almond butter [I used my vanilla maple]
- 1/4c safflower oil
- 1/2c unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2c + 1T sucanat
- 1 vanilla bean
- 2t cinnamon
- 1t baking soda
- 1t baking powder
- 1 flax egg [1T ground flax meal + 2.5T water]
- 1/4t salt
- Cut a slit, lengthwise in the vanilla bean pod. Scrape beans out with a spoon or butter knife.
- Place scraped beans + milk in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add milk mixture and the vanilla bean pod to a small pot and heat over med-low, whisking every minute or so, bringing to a simmer.
- Let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Discard pod and let mixture cool while preparing the loaf.
- Preheat oven to 350*
- In a small bowl whisk together flax meal + water and let sit for 5min, until thickened.
- In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sucanat.
- In a small bowl mash banana with a fork until fairly smooth.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together oil + almond butter.
- Whisk together flax egg, banana, and milk mixture with the oil + nut butter mixture.
- Empty wet ingredients into dry and stir with a spoon until just combined.
- If the batter looks really dry and thick, add 1-2T more milk. If it’s too thin add 1-2T flour. It should be easily poured, but not runny. See process photos.
- Grease a loaf pan [9 or 8”] and bake for 45min – 1hr. Bake time varies depending on the pan size.
- Toothpick test bread. It should be clean but moist when you pull it out.
The only substitutions I recommend making [but can’t guarantee] are as follows:
- sub whole wheat pasty for spelt flour
- sub 1 egg for flax egg
- sub pure cane sugar for sucanat and decrease liquid by 1-2T [sucanat is drying]
Fancy banana bread. Who knew?
<3 Ashley
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Reader Comments (54)
I can smell it in my mind right now! Looks amazing - I bet Mama Pea will approve :)
Yum! My list of favorite ingredients is pretty much the same but chocolate instead of vanilla!
Looks delicious and basically includes all my favorite ingredients :)
That looks amazing. The photo of the vanilla in the jar and the vanilla with spoon are gorgeous.
YUM! I've baked with spelt flour before and hadn't noticed that it rose less. I like it more than whole wheat flour.
That bread looks amazing!! If only I had vanilla beans I would make this immediately....
Wooohooooo!! I can practically smell it through the monitor!! :)
I'm sure you could just use vanilla extract...maybe a whole tablespoon of it. Might not be quite the same, but close enough!
Thanks love!
Chocolate would be #6 :)
Yes...I would have to agree ;)
That is totally on my list of baking projects when I am done with finals :) Looks sooo delicious and I agree, those are some of my top 5 flavors, too!
Hahah. We both have the whole "who knew" thing going today. i LOVE it. This looks tasty. Banana bread is one of Stephen's favorites!
Yum! You could not have possibly picked a better time to post this recipe! I have two ripe bananas and my mom just requested banana bread, so I was looking for a whole wheat, vegan recipe. Thaaaank you. Question: Do you taste the almond butter? I don't have any... just peanut butter. Also, I have no vanilla beans. How much vanilla extract could I use instead?
Looks delicious!
I bet this tastes delicious! I love vanilla beans!
Well, I can't guarantee it will taste exactly the same...but I'm sure you can sub the pnut butter for almond. You can't taste the almond butter, , but I'm sure it adds to the nutty flavor of the bread. The pnut butter flavor will probably come through though. Pnut butter + banana is a winner though! I would say maybe add in 1T vanilla...but I'm not positive!
If only vanilla beans were cheaper! I swear if I were wealthy, I think I'd buy a pantry filled with beans. In the meantime, I settle for extract. When I do use vanilla beans, I toss the used up bean pod into my sugar canister for "vanilla sugar". Makes my coffee that much more delicious.
gorgeous bread! i can almost smell it. well, i got some banana flavored something in my oven too so i think i'm just smelling that :P
Yum! I think my banana hating family would even eat this!
you shut your mouth with that...holy yum!
YUM. Can you bring this on Dec 19? ;)
ahhh...like 2 peas in a pod ;)
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't tempt me!
I got them really cheap at Costco!! I think like 10 pods for around $10! I know you can get them pretty reasonably online too...but still definitely a specialty item in the pantry. Vanilla sugar is a great idea!
I need to make this....stat!!! :)
Ooh, sounds good! I like using spelt flour in cookies that I want to be light and crisp.
"Vanilla bananas" most definitely reared me in- i'll give you that :)
This bread sounds delicious, with all my fav accouterments. Could I use whole wheat flour instead of spelt? Also, if I don't have sucanat, can I just use the baking stevia blend? :)
amazing! I love banana bread and I'm always looking for new, fun variations. You are so inspiring!!!
i can't wait any longer... i need vanilla bean!
Fancy AND Vegan banana bread?! Hit the spot, chick. Perfection!
Here are the substitutions I specified in the post -
"The only substitutions I recommend making [but can’t guarantee] are as follows:
sub whole wheat pasty for spelt flour
sub 1 egg for flax egg
sub pure cane sugar for sucanat and decrease liquid by 1-2T [sucanat is drying]"
Using whole wheat flour, instead of whole wheat pastry, will result in a much denser loaf and that flour is more drying. I have never baked with stevia or the blend before. Changing both things you might run into some problems.
I need to try it with cookies for sure!
You are too kind :)
Thanks Heather!!!
I am sooo hungry and this did not help! I'm totally craving some banana bread now! I just used real vanilla bean for the first time on Thanksgiving and am now wanting to try it in everything. But it's so pricey. I read that you said you found it at Costco. Your Costco is magical. I looked for farro and they didn't carry it and I'm sure they don't have vanilla bean. :(
Thanks for mentioning Bloggers Give Back!!!
wow.are you serious!!!?? your recipes just keep getting better..as well as your pictures!!! i litterally HAVE to make this. i am now in search of a vanilla bean..hope i can find one!!! i've always been a vanilla chick...never liked chocolate cake or ice cream.and obviously banana + cinnamon is in my cooking quite often!! :)
ooh I really like mixing whole wheat and spelt flour for baking. It's got a great texture. This looks delicious!
droooolll
uh, YUMM! I love using white whole wheat flour because it doesn't end up like a brick like regular whole wheat flour does when baking :D
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely perfect!
I am dying from the perfection of it all!
A few weeks ago I made the best banana bread ever! It was Chocolate Chip Banana Gingerbread- soooo good! I'm a big fan of banana bread so I'll have to give yours a try too :-)
Looks amazing! Your favorite ingredient list is the same as mine...only I'd have a hard time not including pumpkin so it would have to be a top 6!
Just curious if you have gotten a chance to read my email from yesterday morning and what you think?
I can almost taste it from here! Is it bad that I'd want to put your almond butter on it? Of course it isn't. :)
I've always wanted to work with vanilla beans but I've never been able to find them! I think adding them to anything would be delicious! Did you try just the vanilla bean?
Well, I did put my almond butter IN the bread...if that counts. But yes, with almond butter on top..it is to.die.for. :) Must eat it with the cinn/vanil tea!!
The scraped contents of the bean?? It smells fabulous but is gross to eat on it's own. They carry vanilla beans in natural food stores, online and I even found them at costco! :)
Oooooh that sounds so good!
HAhaha...thank youuu
Yes! Definitely loved the texture!