Banana, Date & Chocolate Chunk Bread

This naturally sweetened banana bread gets extra richness from blended dates and melty chunks of dark chocolate — the ultimate healthy-ish treat.

Ingredients
8 pitted dates
100ml milk
100g butter, softened
175g coconut sweetener
2 eggs
225g self-raising flour
3 ripe bananas, mashed
100g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

Place the dates and milk in a bowl and leave to soak for 10–15 minutes until softened. Blend into a smooth paste and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan) and line a loaf tin with baking paper. In a large bowl, cream the butter and coconut sweetener until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, and self-raising flour, mixing until just combined. Stir in the blended date mixture and chocolate chunks.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the depth of your loaf tin. Check with a skewer — it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing and serving.