Gluten-free date & banana bread

Banana bread is a café favourite and it's great as an on-the-go brekkie or yummy arvo snack; but unfortunately, most store-bought varieties are high in sugar and fat.

With this recipe, we've made a few simple changes to bring down the refined sugar and fat content, and we've also removed wheat and flour – so it's completely gluten-free.

Dates are a natural source of sugar and also high in dietary fibre and iron, making them the perfect ingredient to substitute when looking for an alternative to processed white sugar.

This banana bread can be popped in the fridge and stored in an airtight container for up to three days. You can also freeze it for up to two months by wrapping individual slices in plastic wrap or storing in an airtight container.

Serves: 8 slices Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 50 mins

• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 eggs, whisked

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 cup almond meal

• 1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour

• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

• ½ cup dried dates, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C (fan forced). Grease and line a loaf pan with baking paper

2. Combine banana, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk

3. Mix cinnamon, almond meal, flour and baking powder together; add this to banana mixture and stir until just combined. Add in dates and mix thoroughly

4. Transfer batter to the loaf pan and use a spatula or back of a spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool

Want to make muffins instead? Bake the mixture in a 12-hole muffin pan lined with paper muffin cases and reduce cooking time to 20 minutes.