Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Bread

With all of the devastation and sadness going on in this world perspective is put into place: The magnitude of day-to-day hiccups diminish and become silly compared to the misery that hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing. Disappointments become less disappointing. Problems become “problems” because you begin to realize that your definition of content is completely relative.

The horrific events occurring all over the world these days make me appreciate the life that I am living at this very moment because I’m aware that uncontrollable variables have the potential to fly into my life at any moment and throw my perceptual equilibrium off kilter. So I will savor the little things in life, like making banana bread with my 8 year old cousin. 
On a happier note: this vegan, gluten-free banana bread is totally melt-in-your-mouth DELISH! It’s best served right out of the oven, but it can last up to 4 days if you refrigerate it. I like to heat up a slice in the microwave for 15 seconds, slather a generous amount of vegan butter over it and eat it while I sip my coffee in the morning. Sometimes I’ll have 2 slices (don’t judge me). Enjoy 🙂 I know I did!

Ingredients:
• 3 medium ripe bananas mashed (1.5 cups)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp warm water + let sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/4 cup grape seed oil
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup of non-dairy milk
• 1 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1 1/4 cup gluten free oats
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease loaf pan with vegan butter and dust with a mixture of 2 tbsp of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. Mix all ingredients through almond milk and stir well.
3. Add almond meal, brown rice flour and oats and stir.
4. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. I like to put tin foil on top of the loaf about 45 minutes into the baking process so that the top doesn’t brown too much.