Now that we have entered the world of regular snack times, I’ve been experimenting with recipes that both taste good but aren’t ridiculously high in sugar or anything else nasty. The first time I made this banana loaf it was simply to use up a stash of bananas that were well past their best and was made with probably a little too much sugar.
The second time I made it, I did a bit of research and found that I could replace half of the sugar with apple purée and it was unlikely to affect the flavour. X devours it on most occasions, shoving whole chunks into her mouth, so she clearly approves!
We’re now at the stage where X can eat cooked dairy products -we’re getting closer to being allergy-free – but I still like to make the odd dairy-free snack just in case.
Low(er) sugar toddler banana loaf
Makes approx 12 thick slices
Ingredients
125g butter (or dairy-free spread)
75g sugar
4 medium bananas
100g apple purée
2 medium eggs
250g wholemeal flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100ml whole milk (or milk alternative, I used coconut milk)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C and grease a loaf tin. I used a 1lb loaf tin but you could easily use a 2lb tin and it just wouldn’t be as tall as mine.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, usually around 3-4 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and mix with the apple purée.
4. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar, whisking well between each addition. Add the banana and apple and mix to combine.
5. Fold in the flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda before adding the milk and mixing.
6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf tin and bake for 45 – 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
This loaf freezes well but does tend to come out slightly moister when defrosted so don’t worry if it looks a little dry before freezing.
Made by Fi, Made by Me 