School lunches bring a whole lot of stress to parents. Never mind healthy school snacks in addition to hand sanitizer and masks. If you are looking for a healthy snack that will have you on the best parent club, look no further my friends. We have the best banana bread that I have ever made. Trust me, your kids are going to love this. With school back in, I am always looking for healthy homemade snacks to add to the girls lunches. This banana bread with toasted coconut is delicious, easy to make, and it makes a perfect healthy school snack.
I think everyone needs a good banana bread recipe in their repertiore. My first recipe that I baked was my mom’s banana bread. While my mom’s banana bread is delicious, it does contain more sugar than I like. (sorry mom) The dietitian mom in me is always looking for a way to make things healthier. Sometimes they are a big flop but other times they are a win just like this banana bread with toasted coconut. I ended up reducing the sugar in this recipes, chopped up coconut flakes, added hemp hearts and replaced half the flour with wholewheat flour. The taste is not compromised and no one noticed the extra fibre from the hemp hearts.
Banana bread with toasted coconut
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1/4 coconut flaked, chopped (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 bananas, mashed (overripe)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk flours, hemp hearts, 3/4 of coconut, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer and beat coconut oil and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat well. Scrap down sides of the bowl. Add the bananas, and vanilla and beat well again. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. About 1 minute, scrap down sides of bowl as needed. Fold in chocolate chips.
Scrap batter into oaf pan and sprinkle with remianing coconut flakes.
Bake for 30- 40 minutes until golden brown and insert tooth pick in middle and comes out clean Let loaf cool before cutting.
Enjoy!
