Ooooooh friends.
I have recently been reacquainted with good tahini, which is sesame butter. (Think of using it where you would use peanut butter, almond butter, etc.) If you enjoy hummus, tahini is that yummy umami flavor that makes hummus delicious.
Sesame seeds are highly nutritious and a great source of healthy fats. They are high in calcium, iron and magnesium!
So today I’m singing tahini’s praise.
Start with a simple TAHINI LEMON DRESSING.
Mix 1 T. tahini, juice of 1 lemon, 1 small grated garlic clove, a pinch of salt & pepper, and add 1/3-2/3 c. of good olive oil. Stir (or shake jar) and serve over salads, steamed kale, broccoli, roasted squash, etc. It’s so good I make a jar each week. It makes a creamy dressing without the use of dairy. It’s delicious over quinoa and roasted squash bowl with steamed greens, for example.
And when you are wanting to stun crowds, make a killing at the bake sale, or just bake for better mental health, make Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread. Gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free, it’s so moist, it’s almost hard to hold together. I asked my tasters if it was too sweet and they all said NO! But you can play around with the sweetness as you please. Happy baking!
Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread
Prep
Total
Yield 1 loaf
The foundation of this recipe is based on my mother's banana bread, which is practically famous in certain circles. She used to mail us loaves at college and it was so heavy and dense I can't imagine what it cost to Fed Ex! It would be gone within 10 minutes.
As good as my mother's recipe was, it was a pure sugar bomb. I have reduced the sugar, and use only honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar instead of white sugar. I make it gluten-and-grain free by using blanched almond flour, coconut flour and hemp seeds. I have also eliminated dairy. With the sub of a flax egg for a real egg, it can be vegan as well!
The tahini I sub in place of oil or butter; it's high fat content making a perfectly moist loaf. I added a couple tablespoons of olive oil to be sure it's extra moist!
The cinnamon sugar bakes into the bread, giving it a caramelized crust that is to die for. Make sure to bake it all the way through!
This is a decadent SUPER moist and elevated banana bread. It's almost a mix between a pudding and a bread. No one has to know how many healthy ingredients are tucked in there. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 T. ghee or coconut oil (for greasing pan)
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 1 egg*
- 1/4-1/2 c. pure maple syrup (grade B if you have), depending on how sweet you like it
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 T. olive oil
Dry Ingredients:
- 3 T. cinnamon-sugar (Mix 1 tsp. cinnamon with 3-4 tsp. coconut sugar)
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 T. hemp seeds
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- A handful and a half Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease loaf pan with ghee or coconut oil and sprinkle 2 T. cinnamon sugar on sides and bottom of pain. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine bananas, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, tahini, olive oil. Mix well (I use a banana masher.)
- In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
- Stir in a handful or two of chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bang on counter to flatten and get rid of air bubbles.
- Sprinkle top with a tablespoon of coconut sugar.
- Bake 45-55 mins until a toothpick comes out clean and the bread is firm to the touch.
- Cool completely and enjoy!
Notes
*Vegans: swap for a flax egg
Courses Breads, Sweets
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