No, you can’t move for banana bread recipes on your social feeds right now (and rightly so in our opinion) but none hold a candle to this flavoursome coffee and chocolate combination. The omega-3-rich walnuts help to improve heart health and fight inflammation, while the caffeine from coffee keeps your brain alert. This loaf is worth following the baking herds for. 

Dr Hazel Wallace of The Food Medic shares her coffee-infused chocolate and walnut banana cake. 

115g softened butter 

1 cup maple syrup  

3 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

300g (2 1/2 cups) plain white flour 

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup extra-strong brewed coffee

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

90g good quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

30g good quality dark chocolate

2 tbsp peanut butter

4 tbsp strong coffee

Brew your coffee then leave it to come to room temperature whilst you make the loaf.

Pre-heat oven to 170c.

Mash the bananas in a medium-sized bowl until soft, then add in the softened butter and maple syrup. Whisk gently until all combined, then add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla and whisk again.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and stir together.

Add half the dry ingredients to the wet and gently mix with a spatula well then add half the coffee and mix again. Repeat with the second halves until all ingredients are mixed together and then add the cinnamon and stir through.

Roughly chop your walnuts and chocolate and stir through the mix.

Add the mix to a greased and lined loaf tin and bake for 75 mins.

Test the middle by poking a skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean, the loaf is cooked (the top should look golden and crusty when done). Turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack to cool whilst you make the drizzle.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, then mix with the peanut butter and coffee. Keep mixing until it forms a lovely drizzly sauce, then simply drizzle over the banana bread.

Recipe by Dr. Hazel Wallace BSc MSc MBBCh ANutr

Doctor and Associate Registered Nutritionist, Founder of The Food Medic

IMAGE: The Food Medic

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