GO BIG ON PLANTS. That’s the message for Alpro’s annual Plant Power Day on 7th March, aiming to show just how easy it is for us to enjoy more plants while reducing your carbon footprint and helping the environment. Sharing tips, hacks, recipes and ideas, although one day won’t change the world, it only takes one day to make a big difference.
I’ve actually become vegetarian again (I was veggie for 7 years in my teens), with one reason being more mindful about sustainability as well as actually preferring veggie options. I’ve always based my meals around fruit and vegetables, grains and complex carbs, pulses, healthy fats and some dairy so it’s nothing new – it just means being more experimental with different proteins like tofu, lentils and Quorn!
I wanted to share this plant-based recipe featuring one of my favourite combinations: banana, coffee and pecans. This decadent cake is ideal with a cup of tea mid-morning or afternoon, as a dessert or enjoyed with friends. I’m all about supporting more plant-based recipes (including plenty of sweet treats)!
Ingredients:
- 3 bananas
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup (I used Indigo Herbs)
- 4 tablespoons Alpro Plain Unsweetened plant-based alternative to yogurt
- 100ml Alpro Unsweetened oat drink
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water then cooled (I used Percol)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 200g brown rice flour (I used Indigo Herbs)
- 50g ground almonds (I used Whitworths)
- 50g coconut sugar (I used The Groovy Food Company)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 75g pecan pieces
For the topping –
- 150g Alpro Plain Unsweetened plant-based alternative to yogurt
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pecan pieces and banana chips to decorate
Get making!
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
- Place the bananas, maple syrup, plant-based alternative to yogurt, oat drink, coffee and vanilla in a blender (I use my trusty Ninja Kitchen Nutri Ninja) and whizz up until smooth.
- Place the flour, ground almonds, coconut sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a bowl and pour in the banana mixture. Mix well to combine and stir in the pecan pieces.
- Spoon into the tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until risen and firmed up. Leave to cool then pop out of the tin and onto a board.
- Beat together the plant-based alternative to yogurt with the maple syrup then spoon over the cake. Arrange the pecan pieces and banana chips on top – then slice and enjoy!
