Addicting "Guilt-free" Banana Bread

I've had a major sweet tooth lately and wanted to create something to snack on but feel a bit less guilty about. Banana bread has always been a favorite of mine, so I figured it was time to come up with a version free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. After a glance through my pantry and a few tests, I settled on this recipe -- and now I've eaten my way through two batches in less than two weeks. Now I'm not quite sure if this recipe is working with or against me! 

It's insanely moist, the almond flour gives it a wonderful texture and nuttiness, and the pop of acidic yet sweet bite of chocolate really pushes this over the edge. Yes, the chocolate chips contain some sugar, but in comparison to the cups of sugar typically poured into banana bread -- I'm not losing sleep over it! Of course, they can be omitted if you prefer. I'm also including a *vegan* version below. Enjoy! -KM

Ingredients:

• 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs -OR- *2 flax eggs if vegan (To make: Combine 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal + 5 tablespoons water. Mix and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened.)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour blend (I like King Arthur's Measure for Measure).
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is a great GF/Vegan option; otherwise use any dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips you like.)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with a light coating of coconut oil and set aside. I used a 6-cup, glass Pyrex baking dish for this particular recipe, as I never achieve a completely even bake with deeper loaf pans.

• Mash bananas and add to a large bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, eggs (or flax eggs), maples syrup, coconut sugar and vanilla. Whisk together until combined. 

• Add the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. Mix again until all of the ingredients come together. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. 

• Pour batter into greased baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. With this size baking dish, mine turned out great around 38 minutes, but all ovens bake differently. If using a deeper dish, increase baking time as needed.

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• Allow to cool at room temperature ... if you can wait that long! Otherwise, grab a fork and dig in while slightly warm and the chocolate chips are still gooey. 

VEGAN NOTES:

• ​If making the vegan version, be sure to bake 40-45 minutes (at least). When using the flax eggs, the extra liquid from the water will make the banana bread seem a bit denser or slightly "undercooked." Don't worry - this is completely normal!​