Back To School: Mini Coconut Banana Bread {Dairy & Nut Free}
So we are up to hump day of the week and it's time for another Back To School Recipe. These Mini Coconut Banana Breads are not only super cute they are oh so delicious. The perfect little treat for the lunch box for the kids. This is a well-used recipe in our house and I have made it for over 10 years now and it's on regular rotation. I have halved the amount of sugar in the original recipe because I can't justify that much sugar for the kids to consume. You could sub your favourite sugar-free alternative in this recipe such as Natvia or Stevia. Whatever works for your family.
This recipe uses coconut milk instead of butter or oil and it makes for a really delicious moist cake with a beautiful milk coconut flavour. What I love about this recipe too is that it's a one bowl wonder. No beating butter and sifting flours etc etc but a simple pour and measure recipe into one bowl and mix before spooning into a mini loaf pan. I make this as a large loaf as well and it is equally delicious this way slathered in butter. *Sigh* Now I am hungry. Ha.
I used a simple icing of cream cheese and Greek yoghurt on the tops of the cake but if you are wanting a dairy-free option simply leave them as is. They are just as good with or without icing. If you are making these for the lunch box I would probably opt to leave them uniced to save the mess of icing getting smashed everywhere. Maybe slice lengthwise and butter each half instead for something a little bit extra. When you are making these you MUST make sure your bananas are super duper ripe. The riper the banana the better flavour banana bread you are going to get. I have made this loaf with semi-ripe bananas and it was not as good as with ripe ones. Just didn't have the same flavour profile.
On another note, J.D had his first day of prep yesterday and boy did my mumma's heart break a little leaving him at school in his new classroom with his little bottom lip quivering as I said goodbye. It gets me every time doing the dropoff like this for new places such as kindy or school. Thankfully he came bouncing out of his classroom at the end of the day so happy and talking a million miles a minute about how much he loves his new school. It was a relief to my tender heart to hear that. That being said we will see how he likes it hitting week 3 or 4 but for now I am glad he is positive about the whole experience. Just don't get me started on the parking situation at our school. Gah. Are all school's like that? I had to park nearly a kilometre (probably not quite that much) up the road and haul a baby and child down to the school to pick J.D up and the haul the discarded school port, baby and two more kids back up the hill to the car. I swear I am going to get up my steps for the day doing this. I guess I have to see the positives in it. At least I could commiserate myself with a Mini Coconut Banana Bread hey?
Mini Coconut Banana Bread
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Download & Print RecipeIngredients (16-18 loaves)
- 3 medium banana’s, mashed
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 cup SR Flour
- 2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup castor sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/4 cup greek yoghurt
- Zest 1 x lemon
- Juice 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees (fan bake) and grease mini loaf pan.
In a large bowl mash the banana’s and add the remaining wet ingredients. Add in all of the dry ingredients into the bowl, set aside. Stir until all the ingredients are combined.
Divide the mixture in between the mini loaf pans and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when placed into the cakes. Let them cool in pan for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool on cake rack.
Repeat with the remaining mixture until it has all be used up.
Once the cakes have cooled ice with the cream cheese icing.
Cream Cheese IcingIn a small bowl add the softened cream cheese, greek yoghurt, lemon zest and juice and maple syrup. Briskly mix to combine all the ingredients into a soft icing.
Spread over the cooled mini loaves and serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week
Cooks NotesThese loaves can be frozen in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Let the loaves come to room temperature before eating.
