Cybele Pascal

Allergy-Free Banana Chocolate Swirl Bread

(Vegan and Refined Sugar-free)

Not your momma’s fruitcake, this quick bread is chock-full of natural kid-pleasers like chocolate, bananas, and honey.  It’s also gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. We eat it for breakfast toasted with Earth Balance buttery spread, with tea, and of course, for dessert.

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate or ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy and soy-free)

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup honey (or agave nectar)

3 ripe medium-sized bananas (1 ¼ cups mashed)

2 Tablespoons flax seed meal mixed with 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons hot water (“flax eggs”)

1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix or Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 teaspoons double acting baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Chop chocolate into pieces the size of an almond or smaller, and set aside in a microwave safe bowl.

3. Use an electric mixer to combine canola oil and honey on medium speed. Mash the bananas, add to bowl, and blend thoroughly. Add “flax eggs”, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour mix (to measure flour, use a large spoon to scoop flour into the measuring cup, then level it off with the back of a knife or straightedge), xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix until combined.

5. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, at 30-second increments, stirring between each with a wooden spoon. Do not overheat the chocolate as it burns very easily. Once melted, scoop out 1½ cups of batter and mix thoroughly into the melted chocolate.

6. Oil a 9×5-inch loaf pan and dust with a little flour. Spoon the batters into the loaf pan in two layers, alternating spoonfuls of banana and chocolate to simulate a checkerboard. To create swirls, run a knife or skewer through the batters in a swirling motion. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. To test for doneness, insert a skewer into the center of the bread. It should come out clean (perhaps with a little melted chocolate). Let cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. Then invert onto rack, flip and let cool completely before slicing.

Allergy-Free Banana Chocolate Swirl Bread © 2014 by Cybele Pascal

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