Banana Chocolate Coffee Loaf

I woke up yesterday and noticed that there were two bananas in the kitchen that were past the point of anyone in my family eating but you know what that meant... banana bread!! Over quarantine I had found myself making banana bread a lot so I wanted to make a loaf that was unique but would still pair perfectly with the natural sweetness of the bananas. When thinking of combinations I randomly thought about the Starbucks reserve that is in my college town and how much I missed it and that random thought inspired this concoction!

----Ingredients----

Banana Walnut Batter

2 ripe bananas

1/2 cup sugar (I used monkfruit sugar)

1/3 cup avocado oil

1/4 cup almond milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup sifted gluten free flour (my favorite is Krusteaz)

1/2 cup almond flour (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon all spice

1/2 cup walnuts (wait to add these until you have divided the batter)

Chocolate Espresso Batter

2 tablespoons unsweetened coco powder

1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso or coffee

----What to do----

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I used a 9x 5 loaf pan. Make sure to grease it before you start making the batter just so you don’t forget later!

After greasing the loaf start by making the main banana batter. In one large bowl combine the mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk together until combined.

In a medium sized bowl sift the gluten free flour first then add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and all spice. I like to sift my flour because it helps make the batter less lumpy but is not necessary! Stir until combined.

Then slowly add small amounts of the dry bowl to the wet bowl until you get a batter like consistency, do not add walnuts yet.

Take half of the banana batter and add it into a clean medium sized bowl (I just used the one I used for the dry). Now that you have divided the batter add walnuts to one half of the batter and mix.

In the other bowl of batter add the unsweetened coco powder, instant espresso, and mix until it is fully combined.

Now in a loaf pan that is greased add the regular banana batter first then the chocolate espresso batter on top.

Then you may decorate the top of the loaf anyway that you would like! I added some thin slices of fresh banana, chopped walnuts, and some chopped dark chocolate espresso beans.

Bake for 42-45 minutes uncovered or until a toothpick comes out clean. This recipe is perfect for after dinner! The hint of espresso is amazing and is perfect for a little wake me up! This loaf is just sweet enough so if you like more of a sweet bread I recommend adding another banana! The extra banana will bring sweetness and more moistness, I like my bread a little more dense especially when pairing these flavors together.

I hope you like this recipe and if you make it tag me on instagram @hanshomemadeeats !