Banana Bread

This recipe was given to me by my sweet friend Tammy.  I was very excited to try this recipe and we took it on our family reunion weekend.  It was almost all gone when by the time we left!  I did learn that instead of using frozen banana's that you need to use really ripe ones.  The ones that you won't eat, but you would hate to throw away.  Yeah those!  Enjoy!

Paleo Banana Bread
     
      Ingredients

3 eggs, separated (keep the yolks and whites separate!)
4 or 5 tbsp honey (up to you!)
4 tbsp olive oil
3 mashed bananas (3 small, or 2-3 big)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups almond flour
1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional, and likely broken into smaller pieces if you use them)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the egg yolks and honey in a large bowl until light and fluffy. I use a hand-held mixer for this. It takes about five minutes.

3. Add the olive oil, vanilla, and mashed banana to the bowl, mixing well.

4. In a smaller separate bowl, mix the cinnamon, baking powder and almond flour and sift well. You don’t have to do this, honestly, before you add it to the big bowl, but an even distribution of the spices and powder never hurts.

5. Add that mixture of spices and powder to the bowl and stir well.

6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. A hand mixer is champion at this. Stiff peaks are vital.

7. Fold the egg whites into the banana mixture to pull it away from the sides before gradually folding the rest of the egg whites into the mixture.

8. If you’re the nutty type, go ahead and add your cup of pecans or walnuts to the mixture and stir well.

9. Lightly butter 2 foil bread loaf pans and pour the banana mixture in.

10. Place in oven for 40-45 minutes, though I always end up keeping them in for the latter.

The tops of the loaves should be a nice toasty brown by the 45-minute mark. Stick them with a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean. If so, you’re golden — set the loaves out to cool and enjoy!

One thing to consider: the loaf will harden and become more bread-like overnight, so don’t be surprised if it comes out pretty soft in the end. Banana bread always tastes better the next day, and these loaves are definitely no exception.

Misc Tips

Let the three eggs sit out and come to room temperature before separating them. This’ll make the egg whites form stiff peaks much faster than if the eggs were well-chilled in the fridge.

This is before.  I didn't add nuts to this one. 

This is after with nuts (although you can't see them)!