I have to give the credit for this Fragrant masa harina banana chocolate bread to Keith Littlewood from Balancedbodymind. He’s posted it on his instagram feed a few times and it seemed so intriguing yet comforting and delicious that I had to give it a go. So when overly freckled bananas crossed my path this week, I jumped on the opportunity.
Masa harina is flour made of corn that has soaked in an allkaline bath derived from burnt limestone. This process makes gives masa harina loads of health benefits: it reduces phytic acid, mycotoxin content, increases its mineral content as well as its availability of B vitamins. It is also easier to digest and totally gluten-free.
Because it’s mostly used to make tortillas, tacos and other Mexican staples, I was initially worried the cake would turn out tasting like a tamale, but no worries there: the masa harina flavor is perfectly balanced with the fragrant spices and dark chocolate. It also gives the cake a wonderful texture. I’ve tweaked his recipe slightly by adding different spices and less oil but I suspect the end result is similar: perfect with an afternoon tea…or coffee.
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp 5-spices or allspice or a mix of clove and ginger
- 4 overripe bananas
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, ghee or odorless coconut oil
- 1 tsp milled chia seeds
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water or milk
- 1/2 cup your favorite dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan
- Preheat oven to 350F
- In a large bowl, mix the masa harina, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and 5-spices
- In a blender, mix the bananas, sugar, eggs, chia, vanilla, oil and water until smooth
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones, add the chocolate chunks and mix until well combined
- Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
