Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread with Moringa
Mmm…Amazing. The smell of Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread is wafting through my house as it cools in the kitchen.
Our very ripe bananas desperately needed to find a comfortable resting place, and this Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread provided the location. One recipe deliciously uses 4 bananas!
I roasted the bananas (and now I wonder if I could have grilled them because grilling almost anything just makes it that much more awesome..) then mashed them and paired their oozing sweetness with yet even more deliciousness. Think–lightly toasted coconut flakes swimming in full fat coconut milk, chocolate chunks galore that gradually dissolve into streams of warm chocolate goodness. Subtly nestled amongst those tantalizing flavors is the impressive Moringa powder. Wow! This is definitely a mean combination to resist…so please don’t, give it a try!
Our recipe includes 1 Tbsp of Moringa powder, but you can gladly add more. Start little and increase to as much as your body and your taste desire.
Dark chocolate pairs so well with both the color and flavor of Moringa and has some benefits of its own. As the banana bread bakes in the oven, the chocolate permeates the batter making a rich chocolatey bread which more than adequately disguises the earthy green of the Moringa but does not negate all of its benefits.
Moringa’s visual appeal is strongest in its natural habitat : in the raw with salads, smoothies, soup toppers, and chocolates! Consuming Raw Moringa (whether fresh or powdered) maximizes its nutritional benefits …all that to say, there are many ways to enjoy Moringa! so….
If you find some overly ripe bananas lying around your kitchen, what better banana fate than roasting them for a delicious slice of Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread with Moringa. Your taste buds will thank you but even better, your body will love you!
Did I mention the Spiced Banana Sauce? Another little hidden treasure this recipe can deliver if you decide to freckle your already very ripe bananas with a small bit of brown sugar or sucanat prior to roasting them.
After the sliced bananas are roasted, removed, and mashed, there is a collectable amount of sauce that remains. It is smooth and thick but yet runny and rather delicious when warmed and drizzled over lightly whipped maple cream or maybe a thin spread of cream cheese ….and paired with a mouth-watering slice of Chocolate Coconut Banana Bread. I imagine it would be a fun option for topping ice cream as well. I don’t know… but the options seem endless for such a terrific by-product!
If you try this out, please let us know how you liked it, improved it, or enjoyed it!
FYI: You CAN grill Bananas! I turned to Google. Doesn’t Google know everything? I may just have to find myself some more bananas….
adapted from Half Baked Harvest
- butter
- 4 bananas overly ripe
- 1 juice lemon
- 1-2 Tbsp homemade vanilla extract
- 2 part cinnamon sprinkled
- 1 part nutmeg sprinkled
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar optional
- 1 Tbsp Moringa powder
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 1/2 cup coconut milk can substitute any milk
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ounces 72% or > cacao dark Chocolate chopped (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes toasted
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes topping
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Lightly butter/oil baking dish. Slice 4 bananas and align in dish.
- Squeeze Lemon Juice over evenly over sliced bananas.
- Drizzle homemade vanilla evenly over bananas.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. (2 parts cinnamon to 1 part nutmeg or to taste)
- Dust prepared banana slices with brown sugar, sucanat, or coconut sugar if desired for additional sweetness.
- Place banana dish in oven for 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned and caramelized. Place flaked coconut into a separate dish and toast in oven for a couple of minutes simultaneously. Can stir occasionally for more even color. Watch very carefully as it will burn easily! Remove when flakes become golden brown.
- Remove both from the oven at the appropriate time and allow to cool. (**See about for Spiced Banana Sauce ideas if applicable)
- Reduce Oven to 350 F
- Lightly Oil 9x5 Bread pan or 2 mini loaf pans.
- In measuring cup, place 1 Tbsp Moringa powder or desired amount. Fill the rest of the way 1 1/4 cup with whole wheat flour. Place in a small/ medium mixing bowl
- Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla until combined.
- Spoon roasted banana slices into bowl and mash. (Optional: Save Spiced banana sauce in separate dish for drizzling or desired use.) Incorporate mashed bananas into wet mixture.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold in the chopped chocolate and toasted coconut.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan(s) and sprinkle with remaining unsweetened coconut if desired.
- Place in preheated oven. (Original recipe says to place on baking sheet when using a 9x5 pan. I assume this is to catch any over flow. I use 2 mini loaf pans so cannot speak from personal experience.)
- Bake for 40 to an hour depending on the size of the pan. At about 30 minutes, check the bread. If the tops are browned but not set in the middle, tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from oven when the center is set. Allow to cool for 30 minutes minimum before slicing. Store bread covered for 3-5 days (although I doubt it will be around that long)!
Loved your recipes using moringa!