CHOCOLATE CHUNK BANANA BREAD (grain-free, paleo)

I absolutely love banana bread, especially when chocolate chunks are involved! And this banana bread is so moist and delicious that you'll barely believe it’s totally dairy, grain and refined sugar free.

Below I have provided two different versions, one that is nut-free (except for coconut) using Otto’s Naturals cassava flour, and the other using almond flour. I love both, but the cassava version is a great option for people with nut allergies.

Cassava flour is made from the starchy yuca plant, so it is rich in non-refined carbohydrates. It has a mild flavour and soft consistency and can be used as a 1:1 substitute for regular flour in many recipes. With only 120 calories per 1/4 cup, it is less calorie dense than many other traditional and gluten-free flours, including wheat, corn, almond and coconut.

Cassava Flour Version (above; nut-free except for coconut)

Ingredients for one loaf:

• 1/2 cup avocado oil, plus more for greasing

• 1/2 cup Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener or Swerve Brown sugar-free sweetener

• 2 pasture-raised eggs

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 1/2 cups Ottos’s Naturals cassava flour

• 1/4 cup coconut flour

• 1/4 cup Further Food or Organika collagen peptides

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (such as Enjoy Life Foods)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8.5 x 4.5" standard loaf pan with avocado oil.

2. In a large bowl, beat together oil, sweetener, eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Add mashed banana and blend well.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together cassava flour, coconut flour, collagen, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks if using.

4. Scrape the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week, or the freezer for up to 2 months.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread made with Otto’s Naturals cassava flour.

Almond Flour Version (below)

Ingredients for one loaf:

• 1/3 cup avocado oil, plus more for greasing

• 1/2 cup Lakanto Golden sugar-free monk fruit sweetener or Swerve Brown sugar-free sweetener

• 3 pasture-raised eggs

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1/3 cup arrowroot flour

• 2 Tbsp coconut flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks (such as Enjoy Life Foods)

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8.5 x 4.5" standard loaf pan with avocado oil.

2. In a large bowl, beat together oil, sweetener, eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Add mashed banana and blend well.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in chocolate chunks and walnuts if using.

4. Scrape the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

5. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate Chunk Banana bread made with almond flour and walnuts.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week, or the freezer for up to 2 months.