Snap, crackle, pop Banana Bread

Mmmmm, fresh out of the oven

Inspiration:

Fun fact: I hate bananas. Hah! If you mix them into banana bread or a good smoothie, count me in! This is one of my go-to banana bread recipes (thank you Smitten Kitchen). What separates this recipe from the others is that it contains one of my favorite grains, QUINOA (hello, extra protein + added crunch). It’s also super easy to make: one bowl, one pan. You can add a little of this, a little of that, or whatever you have on hand. Feel free to adapt accordingly. This is the perfect snack to come home to after a morning workout.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas (browner = better)
1 large egg
1/3 cup coconut oil (warmed to a liquid)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (use the real deal if you can)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour (you can also fool around with other types of flours if you are feeling adventurous)
1/4 cup quinoa
*optional - any mix-ins you like: nuts, raisins, chocolate chips

Instructions:

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350.

Place a pan on the stove and heat to medium. Add quinoa directly to the dry pan to “toast” it. Heat a few minutes giving the quinoa a shake or two as it turns golden brown and starts to crackle / pop.

Butter or spray a 9x5 loaf pan.

Mix

In a large bowl smash the bananas with a fork or wooden spoon until nearly smooth.

Add in egg, then oil, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.

Add in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves over mixture and stir until just combined.

Add in flour until just combined.

Lastly, add in quinoa and any other mix-in’s that sound good to you.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake

Bake 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clear.

Cool in pan.

Enjoy.