Baking Out Loud: Vegan Coconut Banana Bread!

The folks at Turtle Mountain (So Delicious) posted on Twitter about this awesome vegan banana bread recipe that incorporates their new Coconut Milk Beverage. I couldn't wait to try it, as I adore coconut... A few days ago I made it for the second time, and it is just as delish as the first batch!

I tweaked the recipe a little here- the original recipe doesn't call for the dried coconut. I also subsituted extra banana for the butter called for in the original to reduce fat and calories. I used medium-large bananas the first time I baked it, and waited until they were so ripe they had started to soften. The second time around I used small bananas that a were a little less ripe. I prefer the larger, riper ones! The end result is SO moist and flavorful- the coconut adds a whole new dimension to traditional banana bread. The chocolate chips make it even more incredible. It's even more amazing the next day!

I think the lite version of any canned coconut milk (as it's closer to the texture of the Coconut Milk Beverage than the full-fat) would work just as well as the So Delicious in the recipe, which, by the way, I do not recommend plain. I'm also not a fan of it in cereal, but the extra creaminess and more complex flavor makes it perfect for baking. I have been using it in everything from pancakes to cupcakes. Very versatile. :)

Enjoy!


Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Coconut

1 cup turbinado sugar
2 medium-large, very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, Original flavor
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon coconut extract
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/2c dried, unsweetened coconut
¼ cup dark chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with a little Earth Balance or non-stick spray, and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together sugar and bananas just enough to incorporate them together. Add coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, and Ener-G egg replacer mixture, and blend together.

In a separate bowl mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and continue to mix together, scraping down sides of the bowl. Stir in dried coconut and chocolate chips. When the ingredients are mixed together, fill the greased loaf pan, and place in oven for 1 hour, until top is golden brown and knife comes clean from the center. The banana bread will get dark on top but will stay moist inside.

Let cool for 30 minutes and cut and serve.