I am pretty proud of the carb-forward diet I keep all year. Except, of course, during Passover. While some families love Passover rolls as a special treat during the holiday, it’s not a tradition we keep. Instead our Passover breakfasts have centered around eggs, yogurt, fruit, and matzah brei.
Then last year I heard about a local bakery and cafe called Squirrel & The Bee, whose delicious treats are wheat-free and refined-sugar-free. And oh, they are Passover friendly. I rushed over (after the gym, obviously) and gorged myself on cheesy spinach quiche, double chocolate chip muffins, and the most delicious wheat-free banana bread.
With my super stellar sleauthing journalist skills (um, I asked) I found out the bakery uses a combination of almond and coconut flours. So I went home to try and recreate the treat. And, it came out fine. Maybe less then fine. Edible, sweet, but far too crumbly. And too much coconut flour. Womp.
But I don’t give up where carbs are concerned, so I tweaked the recipe a bit, and I am now proud to share this super moist, super flavorful, Passover-perfect banana pumpkin bread. Slather it with butter, pour yourself a nice cup of hot tea, and you might even forget it’s Passover.
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A few notes: Make sure to buy a high-quality almond flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill. Almond flour and almond meal are different items. I would not advise skipping the step to coat the inside of the pan with cooking spray and granulated sugar — the extra bit of sugar creates a crusty, caramelized coating on the outside of the bread that is completely addictive.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (around 2-3 medium bananas)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup matzah cake meal
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (can also substitute cinnamon)
- cooking spray
- additional granulated sugar for coating
- blanched almonds or walnuts for topping
- raw sugar for topping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 1 lb (9 inch) loaf pan: coat with cooking spray and lightly coat the inside with 1-2 Tbsp granulated sugar.
- In a large bowl, mix the banana, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, oil, and brown sugar until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the matzah cake meal, flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients until completely incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top using a spatula. Top with almonds and raw sugar if desired.
- Bake for 60-65 minutes.
- Allow to cool before serving.
