Coffee Crunch CocoNUT Banana Bread (grain free, gluten free)

I should start out by saying even though it’s called Coffee Crunch CocoNut Banana Bread there is a CocoNut Banana Bread as well without the coffee since it was A who helped come up with this bread. Although even at 7 she likes coffee and I need to keep her away from it!

So it was just after Christmas, the house was still packed with sweets and A came up to me with her big eyes and sweet little voice asking me if we could bake together. How could I say no? Especially since she got lots of cooking stuff for Christmas including a bright green Cuisinart hand mixer for grandma, green is her favorite color so it was a must. She wanted to make banana bread and she wanted cacao nibs, nuts, and coconut in it (which I’m a terrible mother because I forgot to add it in). I decided it was the perfect use for some coconut flour I had to use up. While we were started I was making a coffee for me and a steamer for her and we got to thinking and decided we would also add coffee beans to one of them, despite her telling me we could add it to hers too. She grabbed the mini food processor to mash the bananas, since she was on a kitchen tool kick and too big for mashing them with a fork now. I started putting the dry ingredients in a bowl and chopping the brazil nuts. She whisked the almond butter and bananas together, added the eggs. Have I mentioned how we make such a great team and I love cooking with her? So we had one batch with cacao nibs, hey her choices and I’m all for less sugar but did ask if she wanted chocolate chips, and brazil nuts. Than the other pan with cacao nibs, brazil nuts, and coffee beans. The house smelled so amazing we made the mistake everyone does and cut the banana bread a little too soon when it was still warm. Oh not sorry about that one though because I could just grab a chunk of fresh banana bread and forget slicing it. Plus the girls think it is so good warm with Irish butter or almond butter because it just melts on there. We did make another loaf with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, brazil nuts, and coconut flakes that were forgotten.

A cold snowy winter morning, baking with my little girl in our pajamas while sipping lattes and steamers, house smelling amazing, and then relaxing while enjoying warm banana bread…. one of lifes greatest moments, it’s the little things! If it wasn’t enough she even wanted to photograph it with me! Yep for a 7 year old to hold a 50D, with a flash, can’t be easy I guess the gymnastics is paying off in other way because man she is strong. She took some pretty good pictures so I decided to include some of those in the post as well.

Coffee Crunch CocoNUT Banana Bread
Makes 1, 8×4 loaf
4 medium ripe bananas, about 1 1/4- 1 1/2c mashed ripe bananas
¼c almond butter
2 TBSP pure maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, or flax/ chia eggs
2/3c coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1/4c chopped brazil nuts
1/4c cacao nibs or chocolate chips (Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)
2 TBSP chopped espresso beans, optional
1/4c shredded coconut, optional

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 8×4 loaf pan with coconut spray or non stick spray of choice, or line with parchment paper, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. In a medium bowl mash your ripe bananas (or we puree in our mini food processor before measuring if we want a smoother texture) until no large lumps are present. Whisk in nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk in eggs until just combine. Add dry ingredients to wet and fold with a spatula until just combine. Fold in cacao nib, chopped nuts, coconut, and or coffee beans as desired. Spread batter into prepared baking pan, and bake for 28-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing. Enjoy!
The weekend and Coffee Crunch CocoNUT Banana Bread are calling! #vegan #glutenfree #grainfree #SweatPink Share on X

Linking up with Annmarie for Foodie Friday!