Carrot, Coconut and Banana Slice

✓ Gluten-free
✓ Dairy-free

The other day I came across this delicious-looking Carrot, Coconut and Banana Slice from Bianca at Wholefood Simply and I just had to make it. Made with bananas, carrots, Medjool dates, coconut and almonds, it’s a perfectly simple yet delicious slice, and it’s super easy to prepare as well. Best of all, I already had all the ingredients on hand, and it only required a food processor, spatula and baking tin to prepare. I adapted the recipe just slightly, using only 8 Medjool dates instead of 12 and lowering the oven temperature to 175°C, and it was still perfectly sweet and moist. I didn’t bother with any icing, but I imagine a nice coconut cream icing would be delicious; instead, I just sprinkled mine with some crunchy coconut flakes. I’ve made the recipe a couple times since, and it has always turned out delicious. Next time I might add a little cinnamon or dried ginger as well, as I imagine it would complement the recipe perfectly. This recipe is somewhat of a hybrid between carrot cake and banana bread, so it definitely combines two of my favourite things!

Ingredients

2 medium carrots (200g), peeled and chopped roughly
8 Medjool dates, pitted
2 medium ripe bananas (300g) (try to use spotty ones)
2 cups almond meal (or freshly-ground almonds)
2 cups desiccated coconut (try to find a preservative-free brand, like the Macro Organic brand available at Woolies!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
2. Combine the carrots and Medjool dates in a food processor, and blend until finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple times during the process.
3. Add the bananas, almond meal and coconut, and blend at high speed until well-combined.
4. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the slice is cooked through.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, until turning out onto a cooling rack to cool.

This slice is yummy served warm, or also once it has cooled to room temperature.

Enjoy!