Vegan Cardamom Guava Banana Bread (Print View)

Fragrant tropical bread blending ripe bananas, luscious guava, and aromatic cardamom for a moist dairy-free delight

# Components:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup ripe banana, mashed (about 2 medium bananas)
02 - 3/4 cup guava pulp, fresh or canned and strained
03 - Zest of 1 lime

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar
05 - 1/3 cup neutral oil such as sunflower or canola
06 - 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

08 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
10 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
11 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Optional

13 - 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
14 - 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a standard 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Stir in guava pulp and lime zest until well incorporated.
03 - Add brown sugar, neutral oil, plant-based milk, and vanilla extract to the fruit mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
05 - Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Fold in chopped nuts if using.
07 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top surface. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
08 - Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It bakes while you're doing something else, filling your kitchen with an aroma that makes everyone stop and ask what you're making.
  • No eggs, no dairy, no fussing around, but somehow tastes richer than breads that need all of those things.
  • The cardamom-guava-lime combination is unexpected enough to make people lean back and ask for the recipe, yet familiar enough to feel like comfort food.
02 -
  • The toothpick test is non-negotiable here: underbaked quick breads taste gummy and raw, so trust the test over the timer because every oven runs differently.
  • Straining canned guava pulp if it's seedy isn't fussy; the seeds get trapped between your teeth and derail the pleasure of eating a clean, tender slice.
03 -
  • Use freshly ground cardamom if you can find it or grind your own pods, because the difference in flavor intensity is night and day compared to the jar that's been sitting in a cupboard for a year.
  • Don't skip the cooling step after baking; it feels like an extra step but it's what gives you a tender crumb instead of a dense, gluey interior that falls apart when you slice it.
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