Banana cake with a healthier makeover

I developed a bit of a collection of bananas in the freezer over the past month so I decided to put them to good use in a new recipe.  These mini banana cakes are made with all natural, wholefood ingredients, providing a healthier sweet treat. The bonus is they’re really easy to make and look cute too with the little banana slice on top.  Even though they are healthier than your standard banana cake, they’re still a treat, so enjoy in moderation 🙂

Here’s a bit of a run down of what makes this recipe healthier:

Ground almonds + wholemeal spelt flour replace the usual standard white flour found in most cake recipes.  Ground almonds are a source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and also iron. Ground almonds and wholemeal spelt flour are also both high in fibre.

Chia seeds are a plant based source of the essential omega 3 fatty acids.

Bananas are a great source of potassium and also provide vitamin B6.

I use macadamia nut oil for baking- it’s high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats and has a lovely nutty flavour (of course!)

Here’s the recipe for healthy banana cake (mini size)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of finely ground almonds
1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
3 small extra ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons liquid honey (or stevia for a lower sugar cake)
1/2 cup macadamia nut oil
1 extra banana, for decoration

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Next, in a smaller bowl, mix together the ripe bananas, eggs and liquid honey until well combined.  Add the oil and mix.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture.  Fold the two mixtures together, being careful not to over mix.  This will make the cakes tough.

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases. Slice the extra banana and add a slice to each cake.  Bake for around 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.