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Kids Snacks and Treats

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

Name: Secretly Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 bananas (very ripe); 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter; ¾ cup maple syrup ((180 ml)); 1 cup self raising flour ((120 grams)); 1 can chick peas ((400 g/15oz can)); ¼ cup cocoa powder ((20 grams)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¾ cup chocolate chips ((100 grams) – optional)

This healthy chocolate banana bread is so fudgy and moist it feels like eating a banana chocolate brownie loaf.

And you would never guess that the secret ingredient in the base is actually, chickpeas. Or that there’s no butter or refined sugar in it either.

All this makes it a great little snack to whip up for the kids (and for mom and dad too, obviously!)

Summary

Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Ages: Toddlers – Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 1 Chocolate Banana Bread

Is Banana Bread Good for You?

Banana bread can have a lot of healthy ingredients in it such as the fresh bananas themselves, nuts, seeds (such as chia seeds) or even oats.

However the nutritional values between banana bread recipes vary greatly. Some are unfortunately full of saturated fats and refined sugars, making that particular banana bread more of a cake dessert than a healthy snack.

Why is this Chocolate Banana Bread Healthy?

This healthy chocolate banana bread uses chick peas as the base, along with a reduced amount of flour.

It also uses maple syrup as a natural sweetener over refined sugars. And it has a small amount of peanut butter in it instead of regular butter, giving it some healthier fats too.

The chocolate chips that we have added are optional, the recipe tastes just as good without them.

Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
¾ cup maple syrup (180 ml)
1 cup self raising flour (120 g)
1 can chick peas (400 g/15 oz can)
¼ cup cocoa powder (20 g)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chocolate chips (100 g) – optional

Instructions

Place the bananas, peanut butter and maple syrup in a mixer and blend until smooth.
Add in the chickpeas, cocoa powder, self-raising flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Blend again.
Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Empty the batter into a greased loaf tin and sprinkle with some more chocolate chips (optional).
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) fan setting for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
Let it cool completely to room temperature before cutting into thick slices and enjoying.

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

Step by Step

Blend the bananas, peanut butter and maple syrup

We recommend blending the ingredients together to get a smooth batter.

Add the Remaining Ingredients and Blend Again

Pour in the chickpeas, cocoa powder, self-raising flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Blend everything again until smooth.

Stir in the chocolate chips at the end.

Bake for 30 Minutes

Pour the batter into an greased loaf tin. Scatter extra chocolate chips over the top.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, at 170°C (340°F) fan setting.

Let it Cool Completely Before Serving

As good as it smells, try to let it cool down before cutting yourself a slice!

Cut into Thick Slices

Cut nice thick slices to enjoy with some warm milk or tea.

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Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

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4.67 from 15 votes