Baby-Friendly Banana Bread

• 3 medium bananas, preferably overripe, mashed
• 80g dark brown sugar or coconut sugar (can be substituted with a handful of pitted dates, soaked in boiling water and blended to a paste, pr 3tbsp maple syrup)
• 80mml neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, coconut, light olive) or 80g unsalted butter, melted
• 60 ml plant-based milk (such as oat, soya, almond) or 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240g plain flour (you can use alternative flours including oat, spelt and wholewheat
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 banana, sliced

1. Preheat your oven to 190 °C and prepare a loaf tin by greasing and then lightly dusting it with flour.
2. Combine the mashed banana with the sugar, oil, milk and vanilla extract. You can use a handheld mixer for ease if you prefer.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix well, ensuring that everything is combined and there are no lumps of flour visible.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and top with the sliced banana, then bake in a preheated oven for about 50 mins to 1 hour.
5. To check if the banana bread is ready, stick a toothpick in the centre of the loaf and see whether it comes out clean - if not, continue baking and check again regularly.
6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Top tip for a marbled loaf: