Healthy Dairy-Free Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk alternative
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (reduce to 1 teaspoon above 3000 feet)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups mashed very ripe banana (see Banana Note below)
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan (you can alternately line it with parchment paper).

2. 2

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk alternative and flaxseed.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

4. 4

   Add the bananas, oil, and vanilla to the flaxseed mixture. Beat with a hand mixer until relatively smooth, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Some small lumps are okay; you do not want to overmix.

5. 5

   Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and even it out.

6. 6

   Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the loaf is golden brown and resilient to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. 7

   Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the bread and carefully remove it to the wire rack to cool completely.

8. 8

   Store the bread in plastic wrap or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover bread slices can be individually wrapped and frozen to enjoy later. They toast well from frozen.