NEXT LEVEL POPPYSEED BANANA BREAD (VEGAN).
My mom's vegan banana date bread recipe got up-leveled with spices, toasted pecans, and poppyseeds—and topped with coconut, nuts and seeds. Heaven in a slice!
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons poppyseeds
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (4-5 very ripe bananas)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup mild vegetable oil (safflower or sunflower)
- 1/4 cup melted raw virgin coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
TOPPINGS
- 1/4 cup chopped raw pecans
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flaked and/or shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon poppyseeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, poppyseeds, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg until completely integrated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, maple syrup, oils, and vanilla until emulsified. Add the chopped dates and whisk to mix in. The dates will loosen from clumps as they mix.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry, and fold together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Add in the toasted pecans, and mix gently until fully combined. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the top with chopped raw pecans, coconut, and poppyseeds.
- Bake for 45-47 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Careful not to overbake—it will continue to dry out after you take it out of the oven.
- Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and let the bread rest in the loaf pan for ten minutes, then use the parchment to lift it out and cool completely on the rack before slicing. Will keep, wrapped well, for a few days.
Notes
The bread is excellent on its own, or toasted and slathered with butter.