Have you ever thought about what banana bread and blueberry muffin’s love child would taste like? Yeah, me too. This new love connection has caused quite the stir. Mac and cheese are in the corner burning with envy. Peanut butter and jelly viciously gossip over coffee. Eggs and bacon get misty eyed as they reminisce about the beginnings of their long-lasting union. In the meantime, banana bread and blueberry muffin have boarded the love boat, and are slow dancing in the moonlight to Lady in Red. MFEO. Made for each other.
More miraculous than the fully blossomed love affair, is the fact that these two managed to make things work without the normal requirements of most steamy oven romances. No wheat— Wait, wait! Buckwheat doesn’t actually contain wheat?! Nope. It’s a seed that comes from a plant similar to rhubarb and has much more protein than processed wheat flour. No egg?! Enter my new favorite flax “eggs”, which work perfectly in quickbread substitutions.
Even more miraculous still, is that with all the seemingly lacking ingredients, this blueberry-banana snugglefest tastes even better than the original. Moist and cinnamony, laced with perfectly over-ripe banana and juicy bursts of blueberry.
Put this in your breakfast, brunch and healthy indulgence arsenal. Or, make them into muffins and bring the little lovebirds to work. Your coworkers will appreciate a healthier December treat option on the staff breakfast table.
Sigh… Everyone loves a good love story.
- 4 overripe bananas
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- ½ cup plus 1 TB coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- 1½ cups buckwheat flour
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease the loaf pan or muffin tins with butter.
- Make the flax egg: combine the ground flax with 2½ tablespoons water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow it to gel.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, leaving some texture. Add the melted butter, flax "egg", coconut sugar, applesauce, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir well to combine. Add the buckwheat flour and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan or into muffin tins ¾ full. Bake 50-55 minutes for a loaf, 20-25 minutes for muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Yum! I’m excited to try this recipe!
Yum! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks! I hope you do!
Yummy! Any chance I can taste this for Christmas?
My reply is late, but the answer is always yes!:)
I love the story and the recipe sounds delicious and healthy!
Oui oui, thanks mom! Delish and you wouldn’t even know it’s healthy just by the taste of it!
Awwww, MFEO! I’m so remembering the scene in Sleepless in Seattle, where I heard that acronym for the first time. Good memories! Blueberries and bananas have taken their friendship to the next level here, and I think the world should celebrate!
And I have loved using both flax eggs and potato starch as vegan binders for baking. You’d never even know that real eggs weren’t used. I have to make this soon! 🙂
Ha ha! Yes, EXACTLY Jayme! I love that line. Here here, indeed, let us celebrate their unlikely union with loads and loads of banana bread! I’m constantly amazed that flax and potato starch can do what eggs do in recipes like these. Let me know how you like it!:) Happy new year!
I cried so hard at that point – and a few others – in the movie. Happy new year to you, too, Jenny!!