Spiced Banana Nut Bread

This is deeeelicious! I was so sad I made it so close to bedtime – I could have spent all day enjoying this with some coffee or tea.

Ingredients

• plant-based stick of butter
• white sugar
• brown sugar
• flaxseed + water (for flax egg)
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• baking soda
• salt
• desired seasonings (I had premixed a pumpkin spice mix but cinnamon alone is fine)
• vegan sour cream (or yogurt + apple cider vinegar)
• bananas
• walnuts

Steps

1. Let butter melt. You need one stick or 1/2 cup of butter. I just leave it out and let it soften on the counter. You can speed things along but slicing it and placing slices in a bowl which is then placed on top of a plate or bowl of hot water that will speed the melting process.
   
2. Make the flax eggs – 2 “eggs” = 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water. Let sit at room temperature (this will thicken up over 3-5 minutes while the butter melts)
3. Mix together the dry ingredients: 1 1/2c all-purpose flour + 1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp salt — whisk together and set aside
4. Add 1/2c white sugar and 1/2c brown sugar to the melted butter and mix together — slowly at first to avoid flicking around the sugar. I press the butter onto the sugar with a fork or silicone spatula to ‘grab’ it and it will slow become a creamy mixture. Then you can beat the mixture into a creamy consistency and add 1 tsp vanilla extract and the flax eggs.
5. slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mix. Mix thoroughly.
6. Make sour cream: 1/2c yogurt + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar — add all to the batter
7. Chop overripe bananas – I smash the majority of them in the process and then dump into batter
8. Add 1/2c chopped walnuts and 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix (nutmeg + cinnamon + cardamom + ginger)
9. Mix batter thoroughly but no need to overmix or beat
10. I don’t find it necessary to add chocolate chips as it makes it too sweet for my liking. You could just top with mini chocolate chips for a hint of chocolate. This will cook for over 40 mins which can make chocolate chips melt thoroughly into the batter which I do not enjoy but others may. It tastes way better on its own and you can enjoy the banana and walnut tastes and textures more that way.
    
11. Pour into greased bread pan or scoop into muffin tins
    
12. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes (this will vary on your elevation) – check on it at 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, and then every 5 minutes after that — it will be perfectly evenly golden on top when done (muffins will cook faster!)
13. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then dump out inverted onto a wire rack (the bottom will be very moist and warm so this should face up to allow it to cool and dry off)
14. DEVOUR
15. Oh, and my dog told me it is illegal not to create a puppy version so I did and will share that, too. And yes, I did wait so we could enjoy them together…because it’s his house and I just live here..