• We know you love a good banana bread recipe, but have you tried this banana bread with hemp-seed “butter” yet?

    Recipe, styling and photography by Hein van Tonder 

    Banana bread with hemp-seed “butter”

    Serves: Makes 1 loaf
    Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins

    Ingredients

    • BANANA BREAD

    • 285g cake flour
    • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    • good pinch ground nutmeg
    • 110g unsalted butter
    • 60g castor sugar
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • 4 overripe bananas, mashed
    • 85ml buttermilk
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 ripe banana, halved lengthways
    • HEMP SEED “BUTTER”

    • 80g hemp hearts/seeds
    • 3 tbsp coconut oil + extra, if needed
    • 2 dates, pitted
    • maple syrup, to sweeten (optional)

    Instructions

    1

    For the banana bread, preheat the oven to 180°C.

    2

    Grease and line a 20 x 12,5cm loaf tin with baking paper.

    3

    Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ground spices together into a mixing bowl. Set aside until needed.

    4

    Using an electric hand-held/stand mixer, cream the butter and castor sugar together until light and fluffy.

    5

    To the butter mixture, add the eggs, 4 overripe mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the batter. Fold through until incorporated.

    6

    Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Place the 2 halves of the ripe banana on top of the batter, gently pushing into it.

    7

    Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf, about 1 hour.

    8

    Remove from oven and leave in the tin to cool slightly. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    9

    For the hemp seed “butter”, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stick blender and mix on high speed until a thick butter is formed. Add a little more coconut oil for a smoother texture, if needed.

    10

    Taste and add more maple syrup to sweeten, if desired.

    11

    Serve alongside the freshly sliced banana bread.

    Imka Webb
    Author

    Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine.  www.imkawebb.com