Friday, October 24, 2014

Banana Ginger Medjool Date Mini Loaves


I'm really excited to share this recipe for Banana Ginger Medjool Date Mini Loaves with you. Why? Because I previously bragged about creating The Best Banana Bread Ever. But guess what? I like this new recipe even better! A little bit of ginger, a handful of sweet and tasty Medjool dates and some on-trend coconut oil make these deceptively simple-looking little loaves into a whole bunch of banana deliciousness.


I once again turned to Natural Delights Medjool Dates to add the sweet deliciousness of Medjools to my little loaves of moist goodness. You might recall that Natural Delights Medjools were the star ingredient in my Vegan Medjool Date Milkshake this summer. Medjool dates are big, moist and incredibly tasty. I can't resist munching on them every time I cut them up for a recipe. They're like candy. Really. They're that good.


I almost feel guilty stuffing them on in my face while I'm baking. But not to worry - Medjool dates are a "power fruit." They're filled with antioxidants and essential nutrients. They're also low-medium on the Glycemic Index so, unlike candy, they help you maintain a consistent blood sugar level.


While I was taking photos of these sweet little loaves in my basement "studio" (a table by the window), my son and his friend were making videos nearby and having a few laughs. As I headed back upstairs, I invited them to take some slices of the Banana Ginger Medjool Date Mini Loaves. I admit I was a bit fearful. Ginger? Medjool dates? I don't know. Any addition besides chocolate chips is risky.


Both boys had identical reactions. One at a time, they took a small bite and then said "mmmmm." My daughter had the same reaction. After that, I had to protect the little loaves to keep the kids from gradually chipping away at them the entire day. I just wanted to ensure there was enough left for their morning snacks at school the next day. (I used coconut milk creamer in the recipe instead of almond milk to ensure these treats would be nut-safe for school.)


You can find Natural Delights Medjool Dates in your produce section, with all of the yummy fruits and veggies that are so good for your body.


Like my previous favourite banana bread recipe, these banana loaves are vegan. But this time I left out the egg replacer powder to simplify things for those of you who don't tend to keep it in the cupboard. I used ground flax instead. It's great for all sorts of things (smoothies, muffins, etc.), so I always keep a bag in the freezer. You can use any non-dairy milk you like in place of the coconut milk. And you can switch out the light spelt flour for regular flour.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I can't seem to enjoy a cup of tea without a tasty little baked treat on the side. These Banana Ginger Medjool Date Mini Loaves are perfect for that. Warm up a couple of slices in the toaster oven and slather with vegan margarine at breakfast or snack time. You could store a couple delicious loaves in the freezer too, for those days when a craving suddenly hits. (Are there days when a craving doesn't hit? (Just hide these babies at the back of the freezer or they WILL get eaten!)

What's your favourite way to use Medjool dates?


Banana Ginger Medjool Date Mini Loaves



by Joann MacDonald
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: bake bread dessert snack vegan Medjool dates loaf

Ingredients (6 mini loaves)
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut milk creamer (for coffee)
  • 2 cups light spelt flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 medium bananas
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 Tbsp ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup of water
  • 3/4 cup Natural Delights Medjool Dates, chopped
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ginger paste
Instructions

Preheat over to 350°F. Grease 6 mini loaf pans.

Combine vinegar and coconut milk.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.

In a blender or food processor, blend together bananas, coconut oil, flax mixture and vinegar/milk mixture until smooth.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until mixed. Stir in the Medjool dates and ginger paste.

Divide the batter between the 6 pans (about a generous 1/2 cup of batter per pan).

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the centre of a loaf comes out clean.

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29 comments:

  1. I'm printing this out as we speak and hopefully I can make them this weekend :) I ran out of those same dates this week (my parents buy them from Costco) and had to buy some at the supermarket today for almost twice the price!

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    1. Great! Can't wait to hear if you like them. :) I haven't seen the Medjools at our Costco. I get them at the grocery store too.

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    2. Your banana bread is my go-to recipe, it always turns out great. But you're right, I think this one is top of the list :) I didn't put as much ginger because I didn't have enough but it was still great. The full amount of ginger will be awesome too. And I only had wholemeal spelt flour but it didn't turn out kinda 'healthy wholemeal' tasting at all like I feared it might. This is a keeper in my collection, thank you!!!

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    3. Yay! I'm so glad that you tried it and you liked it! Thanks for telling me about it. I'm so bad, I used to use whole spelt, but I like the "decadence" of the light spelt. ;) But maybe I'll try the whole spelt with this recipe. The great thing about banana bread is it's very forgiving when you make changes/switches to the recipe. :) Jo

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  2. Love this recipe, Jo. I could eat medjool dates all day long. But yes, they are pricey! I used to pay an arm and a leg for them at Loblaws down on the harbourfront. I'm going to pass this post on to my mother. Maybe she'll whip some up for me during our Xmas visit to Australia. :)

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    1. Thanks Jess. I hope you are enjoying your travels! The Medjool dates aren't cheap, but they are worth it! And my bin of them lasts a long time. I add (chopped up) handfuls of them to smoothies, muffins, etc. over time. I hope your mom makes this recipe for you. ;)

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  3. At Ancaster Costco, today, a woman was checking out medjool dates. She said it was for a date shake recipe she found on Pinterest.

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    1. Interesting you saw them at Costco. I'll have to look more closely next time.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you! I made more yesterday cuz they were so good. ;)

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  5. Those are just too adorable! Love them, and they look delicious too.

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    1. Thanks! The mini loaves make a nice change from the larger loaf. :)

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  6. The Photos are wonderful ,love the Colours! All looks so cozy :)
    The little Breads look sooo delicious!

    xoxo

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    1. Thank you! Cozy is what I'm going for, with the weather turning colder. :) Jo

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  7. Adding this to Pinterest-- Jeremy adores dates!!

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    1. That's great Taby! Then I would add even more Medjools to the recipe, since he loves them. At least a cup! :) Jo

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  8. This banana broad loaf looks so moist and soft! These loaves are just too cute! Pinned onto my banana bread board :)

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    1. It definitely comes out moist! Thanks so much for commenting and pinning. I so appreciate it. :) Jo

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  9. Hi, I am not sure what ginger paste is, can I use crystallized ginger? And if so, how much would you recommend? Thanks!

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    1. I get ginger in a tube, just because I don't like cutting up ginger. You could use fresh ginger or ginger powder too. Crystallized ginger would be a bit different, but it couldn't hurt. You would have to experiment with the amount. The recipe is also fine without the ginger, so add a little bit to start.

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  10. Question regarding the recipe, is it possible to reduce to a half a cup of sugar or honey ? It just seems a lot, since dates and ripe bananas are sweet on there own. Great recipe though can't wait to try!

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    1. You could certainly try it, since everybody's sweetness preferences differ. I don't find the recipe overly sweet, but I would be comfortable going down to 3/4 cup of sugar. Let me know how it goes!

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    2. Thanks! I'll see what I can do :) I'll let you know how it goes

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  11. hello, a question, what flour?

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    1. I use light spelt flour, but you could certainly use whole spelt flour, regular white flour, whole wheat flour or even a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix. :)

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  12. I used brown rice flour as another gf substitute and also baked in a muffin tin for perfect single portions... turned out amazinggg! thank you for this recipe!

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    1. Oh that's so awesome! I'm happy it worked for you! Thanks so much for letting me know. :)

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  13. Amazing!!!!! 😍 I have not yet tried these out on my picky 4.5yr old, my “intended victim” (lol), b it if she doesn’t like them I won’t mind one bit!!! As she is suspect of anything not-a-chocolate-chip, I soaked the dates with the coconut milk and tossed them in to the blender along with the ginger. I also added in a tsp of cinnamon which goes nicely.

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    1. Thank you!! I hope she likes them...or maybe not. ;) Love your idea for hiding the dates! Crafty. And cinnamon sounds lovely too. I'm so glad you enjoyed them. And thanks for commenting. Jo

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