Mee Maw's Banana Bread (Veganized)

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Although my Mee Maw (for those of you that might not have heard the name "Mee Maw" before, that means "grandmother" in the South) died almost ten years ago, she lives vividly on in my memory.  She was a very unique kind of a lady...there was no one, and never will be anyone, like my Mee Maw.  She was one-of-a-kind, and I mean that in the best way possible.

One thing about my Mee Maw that I will never forget was her love of food.  For someone that actually ate very little in terms of portion size, she loved food!  Whenever we would go out to a restaurant, she rarely ordered anything other than an appetizer or side dish.  However, she filled her plate by taking a small portion of everyone else's order!  Ahhh...what a character she was!

Mee Maw didn't cook a lot.  When she did it was usually something very simple: cabbage and onions, steamed vegetables, soup, etc.  Nothing very fancy.  Nothing very complicated.  Just simple, unadulterated food.  She also rarely baked.  But there was one thing that I do remember her baking, and eating, on a regular basis: banana bread.

Mee Maw's banana bread is different from almost every other banana bread recipe I have tried.  For one, it has pecans; and two, it is a deep caramel-brown color.  The bread itself doesn't rise very much, so it isn't your typical fluffy breakfast bread; but the rich banana-caramel flavor is out-of-this-world good!

Since becoming a vegan last spring, there haven't been that many foods that I have missed.  However, banana bread was one of them.  I had tried other vegan banana bread recipes, but they weren't up to par with Mee Maw's recipe from my childhood.  So, on my last trip home to Alabama, I asked my mom for a copy of my Mee Maw's recipe.  Thankfully she had two copies on hand, and she ended up giving me the recipe card that was handwritten by Mee Maw herself.  Needless to say, that recipe card will always be cherished.

Warm, soft, and full of yummy bananas, you can't tell that this famous family recipe has been veganized!  With its rich caramel color and pecan crunch, this bread is great spread with butter, honey, or peanut butter.  It is the perfect breakfast bread!

Mee Maw's Banana Bread (Veganized)
Serves 8-10

2 very ripe bananas
2 Egg Replacer eggs
3/4 C Succanat
1/2 C Earth Balance, melted
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C pecans, chopped
3 tsp water

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Beat the bananas until they are egg-like in consistency.
• Note: Sometimes I place the bananas in the microwave for a few seconds to accelerate this process.

• Add in the Egg Replacer eggs, sugar, and melted butter.
• Mix until incorporated.

• In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In 2-3 increments, add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine thoroughly.
• Fold in the chopped pecans and water.

• Pour the dough into a greased bread pan, and distribute it evenly.

• Bake for 35-45 minutes, depending upon your oven and desired consistency.  
• Note:  Because this recipe has been veganized (and therefore could, theoretically, be eaten raw), I prefer to bake my loaf 35 minutes - leaving a very slight doughy texture in the center of the bread.  If, however, you prefer a firmer loaf, I would suggest baking it between 42-45 minutes.

Next time - an "inspirational musings" post!

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite kind of morning bread: banana bread, croissant, muffin, scone, toast, etc?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo