Christmas banana bread - warm and spicy with almonds & dates

Christmas banana bread is a wonderful way to make delicious use of ripe bananas while largely avoiding sugar. The natural sweeteners almonds and dates provide subtle caramel notes, while cinnamon and cloves give the bread a Christmassy glow.

Preparation is uncomplicated: The bananas are mashed, the dates chopped and mixed together with ground almonds, flour and spices. The result is a dense, moist dough that turns into a deliciously fragrant wonder in the oven.

Whether for a snack, as an accompaniment to afternoon coffee or as a small gift from the kitchen - this banana bread is a healthy and delicious alternative to traditional Christmas biscuits.

Try out the recipe and bring a bit of warmth and love to the table.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 100 g dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 150 g ground almonds
• 150 g flour (white flour or spelt flour)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 50 ml vegetable oil
• Optional: flaked almonds for decoration

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top/bottom heat.
2. Mash the bananas well with a fork.
3. Add the eggs and oil and mix well.
4. Mix the dates, ground almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix everything into an even batter.
6. Pour the batter into a loaf tin lined with baking paper or oiled.
7. Sprinkle flaked almonds over the dough if desired.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Use a wooden skewer to check whether the dough is cooked through (the skewer should come out clean).
9. Leave to cool and cut into slices.

Tip: For a special crunch, you can sprinkle a few flaked almonds on the dough before putting the bread in the oven. The banana bread keeps well wrapped for several days and is also great for freezing.

Have fun baking and enjoy!