Banana Date and Walnut Bread
OMG, it really is possible to make a cake without sugar. A cake that actually tastes delicious too!
Sometimes I feel as nutty as this topping!
Okay, so it doesn’t have sugar, but cakes are meant to be sweet, so what did I use to sweeten this cake?
Dates – Medjool dates to be precise as they are so lovely and soft, chewy and taste a lot like caramel. Especially when frozen!
how yummy are these!
I hear from clients that they avoid dates as they are high in sugar. But you don’t need to. Let me set the record straight…
I’m ‘nuts’ about what is on top!
Dates are a whole food, not a refined, heavily processed ingredient like sugar (which in Australia comes from sugar cane) – and they taste delicious.
Because they are a whole food, dates contain many essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and are very high in fibre, which can help to keep you regular. Note that I have included wholemeal flour, chia seeds and psyllium husks in this loaf, further boosting fibre! Highly refined foods like sugar do not have health benefits like these.
Dates are actually low GI, however do have a medium glycemic load which means if you eat too many of them, they can raise your sugar levels significantly. However when eating them, I find that 1 or 2 is usually enough.
We use sugar (carbohydrates actually) as our primary source of energy. Your body knows how to break them down cleanly and efficiently. And sugar is only an issue when it is in excess. Meaning when you eat more than your body can use for energy, this excess sugar is the problem. Not sugar itself!
beautifully moist cake with crunchy toasted walnuts on top…YUM!
- 5 medjool dates (110 grams when pitted), pitted and chopped finely
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- 1 cup mashed banana, approx 3 medium-large over-ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla essence
- ¾ cup (95 grams) wholemeal spelt flour
- ¾ cup (105 grams) soft plain white flour
- 1½ tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 teaspoons psyllium husks
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, whole and broken
- Start by placing the finely chopped dates in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Heat oven to 170 degrees and line a loaf tin with greaseproof baking paper.
- In a medium bowl, mash bananas well, then add oil and vanilla and set aside.
- Sift flour, chia seeds, psyllium husks, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl.
- Add softened dates to the bananas and mix well.
- Pour banana/date mix into flour and gently mix together until JUST combined.
- Pour cake batter into prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle walnuts over the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Adapted from this recipe from Cuisinicity
For a gluten free option, use buckwheat flour and an extra teaspoon of psyllium husks
Why are dates so healthy?
Here is some science to support what I have said about dates…
It is concluded that date consumption (and mainly the Hallawi variety) by healthy subjects, despite their high sugar content, demonstrates beneficial effects on serum triacylglycerol (thats triglycerides to you and me) and oxidative stress (which ages you and causes yukky things to happen inside your body!) and does not worsen serum glucose and lipid/lipoprotein patterns, and thus can be considered an antiatherogenic (i.e. protective against heart disease) nutrient.
In many ways, dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits!!!!
And did I mention that they also taste great!
