I have always LOVED banana bread, it’s sweet, moist, fluffy, and such a comforting treat. But with this homemade vegan ‘Nutella’ spread can we just say yummmmmm. Now, it’s taken me a while to get this homemade hazelnut ‘Nutella’ spread ‘just right’ but I think I’ve finally hit the nail on the head. With just 7 simple ingredients and about 15 minutes, you can whip up a delicious jar of spread that can be kept in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. Plus, it’s vegan and is a healthier alternative to Nutella.
In terms of making the perfect banana bread, it really is all in the bananas. Which sounds like a really obvious statement to make but just go with me. For the perfect banana bread, you really want to use nice, over-ripened brown spotty bananas. The more brown spots on the skin, the sweeter the banana, and the better flavor you’ll have for your banana bread.
Plus, banana bread is made up of ingredients that most people have in their kitchen anyway and so is a great way to use up any leftover bananas you have lying around. If you give this recipe a shot then please let me know what you thought in the comments below. I’d love to know what you thought.
The Ingredients
For the Banana Bread
Whole wheat flour, baking powder, mixed allspice Bananas, brown sugar Butter, eggs
For the Nutella
Hazelnuts, raw cacao powder Maple syrup, coconut oil Vanilla extract, salt
Making the Banana Bread
To begin making the banana bread, start by mashing the bananas using a fork. Ideally, you need to obtain a purée-like consistency, with little to no lumps. You can use a blender if wanted, however, it shouldn’t be necessary.
Mix the baking powder and allspice into the sifted flour.
Beat the sugar and butter with a mixer. I had softened the butter so it was faster to get a uniform mixture.
Add the eggs and mix in completely.
Mix in the banana purée.
Then gradually add the flour and stir well until smooth.
Pour in a greased loaf tin and bake in the oven for 45 mins at 170ºC (fan assisted). A regular bread loaf tin works perfectly as well. Make sure to grease it or add a layer baking paper.
Let the banana bread cool before you take it out of the tin.
Best enjoyed with some homemade Nutella or your favorite spread.
Making the homemade Nutella
Roast the hazelnuts in the oven at 160ºC (fan assisted) for about 8 minutes.
As soon as the hazelnuts come out of the oven, carefully peel them. The skin should just come off easily when you scrunch them in your hands or with a towel. I then used a hairdryer to remove all the skins. (Although be careful, this can get messy!) Put the hazelnuts in a high-power food processor or blender and blitz them until you obtain a smooth butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz them again. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit of plant-based milk. Store in a glass container in the fridge for up to a week.
