Homemade: [Sugar-Free] Banana and Date Loaf

Requested a little while ago now, and here it is. And I say sugar-free since there is no added sugar, the sweetness comes from the bananas and dates, which is more than enough. Obviously there is sugar in the bananas and dates.

Banana bread is made very regularly in this house. Mainly because we buy up bananas and then they ripen too quickly, before we've been able to eat them [at least, this is what happens in summer]. You can pop the in the freezer when they're over-ripe too, and pull them out to bake with when you want them. Great for 40 degree days when they're well over-ripe and it's too hot to put the oven on.

Anyway, this is a super easy loaf to bake. It's the simple banana bread recipe that I use to make baby teething rusks [see this post here], but with dates added. You could add anything you like - walnuts, cranberries, raisins, whatever you have on hand. But dates are a bit of a classic. It makes a low-lying loaf, not too large, and is truly best eaten fresh. And warm, with a good slather of butter. Mmmm.

Ingredients

About 60g butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup self raising flour*

1 tsp cinnamon

handful of dates, chopped

How To Make

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Grease or line a loaf tin.

Mix together the melted butter [let it cool a bit first] and the egg, then combine with mashed banana.

Add the flour and cinnamon, mix until all blended in. 

Stir in the dates.

Pour/scrape into prepared loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes.

Allow to cool a little in tin, but not too long, as it's best eaten warm.

How easy is that? Sit down, have a cup of tea, a chunk of banana and date loaf and put your feet up. Thank me later.

What else would you add to this loaf? Any other suggestions? I'd love to hear [and try a few new flavours..].

* We use gluten free flour in our baking.