I love a good collaboration, so it’s an absolute pleasure to say that my latest partnership is with motivational, health food and fitness blogger Beki aka Revallance. Thanks to Twitter (where else?) I discovered Beki’s blog and loved her protein packed creations and we’ve been speaking for a while through our social channels, sharing ideas and swapping recipe tips.
So, it’s with great excitement that one of my favourite recipes I’ve made is hosted on Beki’s site – plus, I had a sneak peek of what this inspirational girly has made for mine which I can’t wait to post up on here! In the meantime, here’s a little preview of my recipe…head over to Revallance and find out how to make it for yourself!
Banana & Pecan Protein Loaf with Chocolate Frosting
Banana, nuts and chocolate is perhaps one of my all-time favourite combinations. Yes, I have a sweet tooth; yes, I like to eat as clean as possible but while still enjoying my food. Lo and behold this deliciously moist gluten-free loaf, with added crunchiness from pecan butter (if you can get your hands on it – hazelnut, almond or peanut butter also work nicely), extra protein plus a creamy chocolatey topping. And you say this sounds far too indulgent? Nah, this is pretty much a guilt-free treat!
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- ½ can of cooked unsweetened apples
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- ½ cup stevia
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup buckwheat or brown rice flour
- ¼ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp caramel extract
- 2 bananas, mashed
- 2 tbsp crunchy pecan (or almond/hazelnut/peanut) butter
Chocolate frosting:
- 4 tbsp Quark or fat-free thick Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp agave syrup or coconut nectar
- 1 tsp vanilla or caramel extract
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Get baking!
- First make the banana loaf. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and grease and line a silicone loaf tin.
- Put the eggs, apples, coconut oil, yogurt and stevia in a blender and whizz up well until smooth.
- Add the flours, baking powder and extract and whizz again until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour mixture into a bowl. Mash the bananas well and add to the bowl along with the pecan butter, mixing well until you have a thick batter consistency.
- Spoon into the loaf tin and place on a baking tray – bake for about 45 minutes or until risen, golden and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting: Make this in advance and keep in the fridge. Simply beat together all of the ingredients until you have a smooth, thick chocolate frosting then chill.
Ready to serve? Simple spread the frosting over the top of your cake, slice up and enjoy! Or, if you’re not eating it all at once, cut a few slices up and spread the frosting over the slice as you would with butter – that way the cake keeps for longer and doesn’t go soggy with surplus frosting. Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
