This Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf is sort of banana bread, sort of carrot cake, and studded with juicy sultanas for a burst of sweetness. You can keep this purely fruit-sweetened for a low-sugar and toddler-friendly option. Perfect with your favourite cuppa!
Apparently everyone is going through a massive banana bread baking phase. Now, with Easter looming up this weekend I have had carrot cake on the brain, but like everyone else also have a strong desire to make something bananas…
So, Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf it is. A simple sweet loaf that is a little bit banana bread but also a little bit carrot cake. It’s dense and sturdy enough to be toasted and spread with your favourite toppings, whether that’s lashings of salted butter, ricotta + honey or maybe some coconut yoghurt + maple syrup.
Keeping in line with my last blog post for Peanut Butter Coconut Curry this is another simple, easy recipe that uses basic ingredients and doesn’t require too much fussing around. Let’s keep on going with staying in, staying cosy and home cooking, guys!
To make this Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf you will need:
- overripe bananas;
- carrots (the vegetable we always seem to have, I swear I do love them but we always have a few too many!);
- almond meal;
- plain flour (I used gluten free plain flour but not necessary to do so);
- eggs;
- olive oil;
- vanilla; and
- sultanas.
Spices are nice to add if you have them, I love to make this with cinnamon, ginger and a bit of nutmeg but just cinnamon will do. There’s also the option of adding sweetener (sugar/honey/maple/rice malt syrup), or leaving it out. I have provided instructions for all options!
Please note, this loaf is not particularly sweet if you do not add any sweetener. I am fine with it being a mild sweetness as I like to add toppings anyway and it’s better for my kids, but consider adding a sweetener if you want it to have a more noticeably sweet taste.
In the loaf pictured, I didn’t add any sweetener because I wanted to make something that my boys, now almost 13 months old, could enjoy along with me! With mashed banana, sultanas, cinnamon and vanilla in there, the loaf was plenty sweet enough for them. (Mind you, they’ve had about twenty hot cross buns these past few weeks already…hmm…).
I also soak the sultanas in hot water before adding them to this loaf. Not only does this make the fruit more juicy and delicious, it means they are much softer and break apart easily so they are safer for babies/toddlers to eat.
If you make my Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf please let me know! Take a snap and tag me on Instagram over at @moniquecormacknutrition 🙂
Banana, Carrot and Sultana Loaf
Ingredients
- 200 grams almond meal (2 cups)
- 130 grams gluten free plain flour (1 cup)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 large bananas, overripe
- 2 large carrots (use 3 carrots if they are small)
- 3/4 cup sultanas
- 3 eggs
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- Grate the carrots and set aside. Place the sultanas in a small bowl and cover with boiling water so they soften, and set aside as well.
- Combine the almond meal, plain flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. If you are using any type of sugar in the loaf add this in now.
- Separately, mash the bananas into a puree and then whisk in the eggs, olive oil and vanilla. If you are using a liquid sweetener in the loaf, whisk it into the wet ingredients now.
- Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and combine. Drain the sultanas out of the hot water. Add the sultanas and grated carrot into the batter.
- Scoop the mixture into your lined loaf tin, smooth down the top evenly and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and firm to touch across the top. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin and slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this yesterday as an alternative to my recipe for Weetabix cake !
It’s really good !
I did modify the recipe slightly.
I used ground almonds, plain flour a little soft brown sugar – 66 grams.
Together with your suggested ingredients
It cuts perfectly and I’m not sure it will last to the weekend !!