Vegan walnut banana bread

• 3 large ripe bananasvery ripe with lots of brown spots
• 60 ml coconut oilmelted
• 100 g light brown sugarpacked
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 60 ml unsweetened almond milk
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 80 g walnut halvesroughly chopped, divided

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease the loaf pan with a small amount of coconut oil or line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy removal.

2. 2

   In the large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small chunks remaining — those pockets of banana keep the bread extra moist.

3. 3

   Add the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and almond milk to the mashed bananas. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and everything is well combined — it should look smooth and glossy.

4. 4

   In the medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until evenly blended with no visible clumps of baking soda.

5. 5

   Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined — you should still see a few floury streaks. Add about 55g of the chopped walnuts and fold two or three more times until the flour disappears. Do not overmix or the bread will be tough.

6. 6

   Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 25g of walnuts evenly over the surface, pressing them in gently so they stick.

7. 7

   Bake on the center rack for 48-55 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown and cracked down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs — no wet batter.

   Tip: If the top is browning too quickly after 35 minutes, tent loosely with foil.

8. 8

   Let the bread cool in the pan on the wire cooling rack for 15 minutes — it firms up significantly during this rest. Then lift it out using the parchment overhang (or run a knife around the edges) and cool on the rack for at least another 15 minutes before slicing.

   Tip: Keeps wrapped tightly at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Slices also freeze beautifully for up to 2 months — thaw at room temp or toast from frozen.

• loaf pan (23x13cm (9x5 inch))
• mixing bowl (large)
• mixing bowl (medium)
• whisk
• fork
• wire cooling rack

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.