BAKE | BERRY COCONUT CHIA SEED BANANA BREAD

 When I decided to make double chocolate banana bread, I knew that I should probably balance it out with another, healthier banana bread recipe. This bread has so many add-ins that it could be a meal on its own. Breakfast perhaps? (it'll keep you full until lunchtime.) Raspberries, blackberries, chia seeds, and coconut are mixed into the banana bread batter and then topped with more coconut that gets toasted while the bread bakes. uhh..yum!

all the little chia seeds

layering in the berries so they don't bleed

more coconut on top to get toasty

Recipe Adapted From Ambitious Kitchen

Makes one 9x5 loaf

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 ripe bananas. mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1 TBS coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt 
• 2 TBS unsweetened soy milk (almond, coconut, or skim also work)
• 1 and 1/2 cup mixed berries, frozen
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, plus 2-3 TBS for topping (sweetened is fine)
• 2 TBS chia seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat together banana, brown sugar, egg, coconut oil, vanilla, yogurt, and soy milk until smooth and creamy. Slowly add dry mixture to wet ingredients, and mix until combined. Gently fold coconut and chia seeds into the batter.
4. Pour batter in prepared loaf pan in layers with berries in between (to avoid the frozen berry colors from running which happens to me when I fold the berries into the batter). Sprinkle top with coconut. 
5. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and return to wire rack to finish cooling. Bread is even better the next day (they always are). Bread will stay fresh for a few days when wrapped tightly. 

Oh my! Look at that golden, toasty coconut! Please do yourself a favor and bake this now! If you're still in a breakfast rut make some blueberry muffins!

xoxo, allison