Cocoa Oat Flour Banana Bread

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to easily lift the loaf out. This helps avoid needing to grease with oil or butter.
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the very ripe bananas thoroughly. The riper they are, the sweeter and more easily they mash. Add the eggs, fat-free natural yogurt, and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined. Stir in sweetener to your taste. Start with a few tablespoons and add more if you prefer it sweeter, remembering the bananas add natural sweetness.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix. If using any optional low-calorie chocolate chips, gently fold them in now.
5. Pour and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
6. Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with foil.
7. Cool: Let the banana bread cool in the loaf pan for 10-15 minutes before carefully lifting it out using the parchment paper overhang and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This is crucial for slicing cleanly.
8. Optional Topping (Adjust for your dietary plan): Once completely cool, if desired, lightly sprinkle with a very small amount of chopped nuts or a thin drizzle of a low-calorie chocolate sauce or melted low-calorie chocolate drink mix.