Vegan Banana Walnut Bread

It's one of those weeks.

You know, one of those crazy, hectic weeks when you have absolutely no time to even eat, let alone sleep?  Yes.  One of those.  The main reason that I've been running around like a chicken with all twenty of my heads cut off is the workshop that we're running this weekend at my "day" job.  It's been one thing after another (and not to mention being stuck in a broke-down car of my friend's for the entire afternoon yesterday! what a waste of time!).

Anyways, the reason I bring up this workshop is because we always have to have breakfast snacks at our workshops.  And, being me, I always insist on *making* the breakfast snacks, just because I think it's a nice touch for those traveling from afar not to have to suffer through store-bought, crap-tastic, overly-sweetened pastries first thing in the morning.  Blech.  One thing that I always make whenever we do these workshops is this vegan banana walnut bread because (1) it's vegan, in case there's anyone with dietary restrictions, (2) it's super easy for me to make, given the crazy weeks I usually have prior to these workshops, and mainly because (3) it's GOOD.

This banana bread recipe is actually the only one that I know.  Why?  Because a good family friend taught me how to make it this way years ago, and I liked it so much that I've never bothered to go looking for a new (even non-vegan) recipe.  It's a great bread recipe--much more bready than your usual overly oily banana "cake-which-passes-as-a-bread"; yet, this banana walnut bread doesn't taste dry at all.  It's also just sweet enough but not over-poweringly so.  And most people are none the wise that it's vegan, unless you tell them.

There isn't so much more to say about this bread.  It's good, it's banana-y, it's studded with roughly chopped walnuts.  For me, it's the perfect slice of breakfast that I'd want at a day-long, mind-boggling conference.  Nice and hearty.  Simple and healthy.  Really good with a tall glass of OJ or a hot mug of coffee or tea (because I'll NEED that caffeine!).

Oh yeah, and btw, check out how sheik my blog is today.  I mean, sailor stripes are so in this season, no?  :-P

I'll be back next week with elaborate and decadent desserts, I promise!

(P.S. Another breakfast item that I always make for these workshops is my meyer lemon lavender pound cake.  Also a slice of heaven in the morning!)

Read on for recipe....


Vegan Banana Walnut Bread
adapted from John Robbins' May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World
makes 3 6x3" mini loaf pans

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tspn baking soda
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1/4 cup almond milk (soy milk works, too)
6 Tbspn vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)
3 Tbspn pure maple syrup
3 Tbspn agave nectar
2 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (~ 5 medium-sized bananas)
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Oil and flour the loaf pans.  Set aside.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt).  Set aside.
3. In a food processor or blender, blend together the milk, oil, syrup, agave nectar, and bananas until smooth.
4. Using as few strokes as possible, fold in the banana mixture to the flour mixture.
5. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
6. Pour the batter into the loaf pans, filling about 2/3 of each pan.  Smooth the tops with a spatula.
7. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Enjoy!