Spotty bananas are friends, okay? :) I had this realization again this week when I remembered that there was a time when I would frown upon spotty, overripe bananas and toss them in the trash because I couldn’t stand the overly sweet taste and too-soft texture of overripe bananas.

What to do with spotty bananas?

Vitamix changed my world – with it, I suddenly discovered that I could make the most delicious, healthy “ice cream” from frozen overripe bananas, also known as n’ice cream. N’ice cream is still one of my regular treats, but these days I often use frozen bananas as a base for smoothie bowls, adding plenty of local berries and other goodies.

Another realization hit me when I realized that spotty bananas are the perfect ingredient for making delicious banana bread. Banana bread – if you’re not familiar with it – is something between a cake and a bread. It’s lightly sweet, baked in a loaf pan, and is easy and fairly quick to make.

Flaxseeds instead of eggs

Originally, when I made banana bread, I added eggs to keep the texture firmer. Nowadays, I simply use ground flaxseeds, which are not only healthier but also very affordable. I always buy whole flaxseeds and grind them in small batches with a small coffee grinder. If I have extra ground flaxseed, I store it in the fridge. Does this sound complicated? Flaxseeds start to go rancid very quickly, especially when ground. That’s why I never buy them pre-ground and always store the ground flaxseed I make in the fridge to keep them fresh for longer.

date-type matters

I’ve made this banana bread with both “regular” small dates and large medjool dates. Both work well, but be mindful of the quantity depending on the type of date you choose!

"Regular" dates rarely have a small "cap" at the top, while medjool dates often still have it attached. It's good to remove both the pit and this little cap from the dates, as they can otherwise become unpleasant, hard bits in the bread.

I like to use dates for sweetening because they raise blood sugar levels significantly less than sugars or syrups. A big factor in this is likely the fiber they contain, which slows down sugar absorption and nourishes the good bacteria in the gut. The taste of dates is also absolutely wonderful – it's a bit like toasted caramel and is the perfect sweetener for banana bread!

Magnificent Banana Bread

Yield: 1 larger loaf or 2 smaller ones (loaf pan size: 1L / 4 cups)
Time: 15 mins prep + 30-45 mins baking

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

• 4 spotty bananas

• 20 pitted dates (regular ones! If using large Medjool dates, use only 10-12, or it will be very sweet!)

• 1/2 dl (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

Dry Ingredients

• 3 dl (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

• 4 Tbsp oat bran

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseeds

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp ground cardamom

Instructions

1. Mix the wet ingredients in a blender. The mixture doesn't need to be completely smooth; I personally like it when there are still some smaller date pieces in it.

2. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, then add them to the wet mixture in the blender and pulse a couple of times. If you don't have a high-power blender, it might be better to pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients instead. Mix until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan (loaf pan size: 1-1.5L or 4-6 cups) and bake at 200°C (390°F) for about 30 minutes. Check the bread’s doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle. If it’s still moist in the center, switch the oven to bottom heat and continue baking for another 15 minutes.

You can also make two smaller loaves from this recipe and, for example, freeze one. This bread keeps well in the freezer!

I love eating my banana bread by frying a couple of slices in olive oil – they get a lovely, crispy surface. I then drizzle a little bit of butter on top and sprinkle a few cacao nibs over it. Banana bread is also insanely good toasted, with a spread of Eleplant butter (a Finnish vegan butter option).