Paleo Banana Bread

One of the main reasons why diets fail is because people are hungry!  That hunger often drives them to eat whatever is in sight, which usually means processed foods that are high in calories.  So I've challenged myself to find a way to satisfy my sweet tooth, while still remaining healthy.

This banana bread recipe is so good for you and down right delicious that you HAVE to try it!! Not to mention how easy it is to make! I literally made this within enough time to satisfy my sweet tooth, without defaulting to something non-paleo.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 ripe bananas
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3-4 tbsp agave nectar (optional)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
•  1 cup raisins (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
2. Mix all wet ingredients together in one bowl (almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and raisins). You may also choose to mix in your pecans here, but I prefer my bread topped with them instead.
3. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas. Then mix in the wet ingredients (vanilla, coconut oil, eggs, and agave nectar).  Make sure your eggs are at room temperature so that your bread bakes evenly and doesn't cause your coconut oil to solidify.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix well.
5. Pour the mixture into a well greased loaf pan. You can even line your pan with wax paper for easy removal.
6. Sprinkle the pecans evenly on the top of the mixture.
7. Place in the oven to bake for about 35-45 minutes. Check the bread by placing a tooth pick into the center to ensure it has baked completely. If it comes out dry, your bread is done and you may remove it from the oven.  Wait a few minutes until you can handle the bread before placing it on a cooling rack.
8. Enjoy!