How could one ever say “no” to a warm, delightful loaf of banana bread straight from the oven?

This week we are sharing another one of our favourite recipes from Miriam Cooper, Founder of Mimi’s Bowl – her mouthwatering Maple and Coconut Banana Bread. If you have a glut of overripe bananas sitting around and have no idea what to do with them, this recipe is an excellent way to take them off your hands. Miriam points out that the riper the bananas, the better the bake, allowing for a more caramelized and sophisticated flavour. Above all, this recipe is fuss-free and would make everyone in your household love you even more.

You could adjust the sweetness level of the cake to your liking by adding more maple syrup or a little brown sugar. The coconut oil keeps the bread from drying out while giving it a lovely texture. If you’d prefer, you could also swap the coconut oil for unsalted butter. The loaf will stay well in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

• 100ml coconut oil, melted (slightly warm but not hot)

• 40ml maple syrup

• 125g natural yogurt

• 2 organic eggs

• 3 bananas, mashed to incorporate in mix

• 2 bananas, chopped and folded through mix & 1-2 bananas sliced in half and pushes into the top of the bread to decorate

• 100g plain flour

• 125g plain wholemeal flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl: the wet ingredients first and then sift in the dry ingredients. 

3. Grease a tin, with a little oil, or coconut oil. Fill with the mix and top with the bananas sliced in half, push them a little into the mix. Cook for 50 mins, or until cooked, you can test with a skewer. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack

4. Delicious served slightly warm from the oven. Add a handful of dark chocolate chips (optional) to spice things up!

ABOUT MIRIAM COOPER

Miriam Cooper, mum of two, films, writes and blogs about what she is cooking in her kitchen: sharing the food her family eats at home. Her blog Mimi’s Bowl aims to help time-short parents find dinner inspirations, solving the 5 o'clock dilemma of what to feed the family. It has since turned into an online community where parents share realistic and healthy food ideas suitable for everyday home cooking. You can also follow her on Instagram for the latest updates on her recipes, seasonal shopping lists, weaning ideas and parent hacks.