Banana & Date Breakfast Loaf

I’ve got a confession to make………I’m a massive fan of cake for breakfast. I also can’t function in the morning until I’ve had that first coffee of the day. So for me, coffee and cake are pretty much my perfect breakfast. Obviously, the health conscious out there will be all “shock horror! you can’t have cake for breakfast - how unhealthy!!”. But guess what folks, I reckon I can have my cake and eat it too because I’ve come up with a healthy cake (which incidentally I am going to call a bread so as to not raise alarm). It contains zero refined sugar, instead leaving the sweetening up to the honey and dates, and is made with a 50/50 mix of wholemeal spelt flour and almond meal. It toasts up beautifully and is made a little extra special with the addition of whipped maple & cinnamon butter (optional, but worth it).

This loaf is also beautiful with the addition of some chopped walnuts through the batter, however, I’ve left them out because my kids moan about them….*eye roll*

Enjoy your breakfast cake, ahem…I mean bread.

Mel xoxo

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

80g unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup pitted dates

2 large bananas

2 tbsp honey

2 eggs

1/3 cup natural greek yoghurt

1 cup wholemeal spelt flour

1 cup almond meal

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

Whipped Maple & Cinnamon Butter

100g salted butter, very soft

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp maple syrup

Garnish

icing sugar (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 160C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool whilst you prepare the other wet ingredients.

Place the dates, bananas and honey in a food processor and process until the dates are chopped (not too finely though). Add the cooled butter, eggs and yoghurt and process until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and pulse until well incorporated.

Pour into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 hour or until the centre of the loaf springs back when pressed. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for around 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the whipped butter, place all ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until the butter is pale and fluffy - around 2-3 minutes. Scrape into a serving bowl and set aside.

To serve, sift icing sugar over the loaf (optional, but it looks pretty), cut generous slices and toast in a toaster or in a dry pan.

Slather with the whipped butter and serve immediately.