Banana, coconut & cardamom bread

This gorgeous banana bread gets its coconutty flavour from the coconut oil and yogurt. If you decide to use butter and natural yogurt, you could add 1 tbsp desiccated or freshly grated coconut to the mix. Chunks of dark chocolate are also delicious. If you want to toast the banana bread (as we have in the picture) simply grill the slices for a minute or two on each side.

SERVES 8-10 PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr 10 mins EASY V ❄

125g coconut oil or butter, plus extra for the tin

2 large very ripe bananas

3 medium eggs

125g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp coconut or natural yogurt, plus extra to serve

200g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder seeds from 12 cardamom pods, crushed

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with a long strip of baking parchment. Melt the coconut oil or butter in a pan or the microwave. Mash the bananas and add the oil or butter, eggs, sugar and yogurt.

2 Combine the flour, baking powder, crushed cardamom and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and whisk to a smooth batter. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hr 10 mins until golden and risen. Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to make sure it’s cooked – it should come out with a few crumbs but no wet cake mixture. If needed, return the cake to the oven for another 5-10 mins, then check again, and keep going until it’s cooked. Serve slightly warm with the date butter. Once cool, keep in a tin for up to five days, or freeze in slices for two months.

PER SERVING (10) 296 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 13g • carbs 33g • sugars 17g • fibre 1g • protein 5g • salt 0.3g

Date butter

SERVES 4 PREP 4 mins NO COOK EASY V❄

In a small food processor, blend 150g coconut oil or butter, 80g soft pitted dates (we used medjool), 1 tbsp maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Chill until needed, will keep for up to a week.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • gluten free

PER TBSP 136 kcals • fat 12g • saturates 11g • carbs 5g • sugars 5g • fibre 0.4g • protein 0.2g • salt 0.04g