It was about time I tackled a grain and refined sugar-free loaf and my favourite has always been banana so a banana loaf it was. This was an experiment, using all the knowledge I have so far gained about these new products and how they work as opposed to ordinary flour, butter and sugar. I adjusted as I went and the recipe below is the result. This loaf has worked really well and tastes great. I made a coconut cream topping to go with it in case it was dry but it wasn’t bad at all. Oh, and I have used coconut sugar for the first time instead of honey or date puree. It gives a great, almost caramel flavour. Coconut sugar is a natural product made from the nectar of the coconut palm tree and doesn’t put stress on your blood sugar levels the same way that white sugar does and retains all its minerals and vitamins. It also has an extremely low glycemic index of 35. But there is some conflicting information on the internet and I am not completely convinced that this is not just another sugar which happens to be less bad than table sugar but I have tried it. If in doubt, use honey instead.
I have never used coconut sugar, but I find it very interesting that it might be better than regular sugar. If I bake, I usually use brown sugar or honey. Regardless, I find all sugars doing the same damage to our bodies. I like the way you pull off all these delicious looking cakes without grains, nuts and dairy.
Frank @ Kraemers Culinary Blog recently posted..A Messy Bowl of Oatmeal with Blueberries
You are right, Frank, about all sugars not being good for us. I still love to have a treat for morning tea at work and I am finding ways to mitigate that damage as much as possible. Hopefully, I am managing that.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free
I’ve never tried coconut sugar but it sounds delicious!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) recently posted..meyer lemon & huckleberry muffins
It’s my first time too and I was pleasantly surprised.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free
Looks pretty good & your pictures are so good
CJ at Food Stories recently posted..Food Story: Brendan & Irish Coffee Cake
Thanks, CJ. The photographing is such a fun part of the process.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free
Do you buy your coconut sugar and flour at a health food store…I’ve never seen them in our market.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..New England Clam Chowder
A health store would certainly have it but we have a large store here which sells all sorts of specialty foods and I found it there. I would Google it for your area and see what comes up and maybe ring around a few stores.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free
I’ve never heard of coconut sugar – I’ll have to look for it. I really do need to read up more on sugars – I know so little about the subject, other than it’s mighty tasty! (Salt, not sugar, is my food weakness, so I’m not too worried about my sugar intake, although maybe I should be.) Anyway, really interest loaf – good work.
john@kitchenriffs recently posted..Spicy Party Nuts
Sugar really is quite evil if you read about it – maybe you shouldn’t. LOL. Salt is not good for some people but we do need some. I got cramp in my calf in bed last night and I realised I had had hardly any salt during the day. When I lived in Fiji, we lost a lot of salt through perspiration and I actually had to take salt tablets to stop the muscle cramps I was getting. I remembered that last night when my calf cramped up.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free
I have some coconut flour leftover from another recipe, and I’ve been wanting to use it in other things. This looks like a perfect option!
lisaiscooking recently posted..Dark and Stormy Fresh Ginger Gingerbread
Great. Adriano said he wanted me to make it again, he liked it so much.
Suzanne recently posted..Banana Coconut Raisin Loaf – grain, nut, dairy and refined sugar-free