Fruit Loaf
Sometimes I like a little sweet treat with my morning coffee after a long bike ride. This morning I was going to make a loaf of banana bread that we serve in my healthy chef cafe in Avalon Beach - actually I remember we used to have 2 varieties at one stage a lovely wholemeal spelt + honey + organic egg version and a delicious gluten free / vegan banana bread made with almonds and coconut. Banana’s have been terribly expensive this year, so I though it would be nice to give readers one of my long time favourite healthy recipes for Fruit Loaf - taught to me by my great Polish Aunt many years ago. I’ve been rummaging through my recipe folder, trying to find the hand written version of this fruit cake, it has bits of cake batter on it - note to self, time I typed this out out properly and filled it away safe.
The great thing about this fruit loaf is that it has no refined sugar and it’s not too sweet. It’s high in protein and it’s gluten free as well, if you’re intolerant or follow a Paleo lifestyle. The addition of almond meal in place of flour and chunks of red apple, enables me to cut down on adding any extra oils to the recipe. Vanilla and cinnamon add a subtle sweetness as do the dried apricots and cranberries. Also guys feel free to use other moist dried fruits in this recipe – i sometime use figs or fresh pitted dates.
200 g (2 cups) almond meal
1 tablespoon ground linseed (flaxseed )
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon bi carb soda ( baking soda )
4 free range / organic eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 large red apple, chopped with the skin into chunks
80 g dried apricots (sulphur free )
60 g dried cranberries
30 g walnuts, chopped (optional but really good )
1 tablespoon honey
Preheat your oven to 180 C. (160 C FAN FORCED)
Mix almond meal, cinnamon, bi carb and linseed (flaxseed ).
Add eggs, honey and vanilla and mix through.
Add apple, dried fruit and walnuts.
Mix well – it will be very chunky, full of fruit.
Spoon into a loaf tin that you have lightly oiled and dusted with almond meal or coconut.
Smooth out the batter with the back of a spoon, making sure it’s all even.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through and your kitchen smells wonderful.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for about 1 hour before turning out.
Serve alone or with a little ricotta or cottage cheese + honey.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Serves 12
Smacznego !
Protein: 6.8 g
Carbs: 7.5 g
Total Fat: 13 g ( 1.2 sat )
calories: 171
Yikes this sounds lovely, I am often wanting something sweet to have with a morning cuppa and this looks like it will fit the bill:-) I am going to make this on Saturday.
Great Teresa
As a diabetic I love your recipes.So easy to make so easy to eat.
Thank you, keep them coming
Kate, using wholemeal flour will change the whole structure of the recipe and ingredients….so I cannot guarantee it will work, but you can give it a go….I think you could use less of it…and would have to add a little olive oil or grapeseed oil to the mix. You could also try using 100 % flaxseed in the recipe as it may work better.
I used 1/2 wholemeal flour and 1/2 almond meal and it worked out really well
I’m addicted to toasted fruit loaf. I can’t wait to try this AWESOME recipe! Thanks for another great recipe Teresa.
Hi Teresa
I have just recently discovered your lovely recipes.
You must be of Polish background (as am I)……..’.smacznego’ surprised me.
I look forward to trying this Fruit Loaf out.
Dzienkuje.
Sorry, just realised it says serves 12!
…oops
Gigi
Teresa, your recipes never fail to astound and delight – it sounds delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
Is there likely to be an international Kamalaya and Vitamix competition? I am from the UK and could not enter either!
Hope you’re well and thank you
happy you love the recipes Veronica and will try and make comps more international !
Made this beautiful recipe this afternoon, had no apricots or fresh apples so just added dried apples, dried dates, sultanas & cranberries (whatever I could find in the cupboard!) and it turned out great, very tasty, however I can see Ill be making this every second day as we are devouring it!
Fantastic Amba – it’s perfect how you improvised with other ingredients
x
Teresa i am not mad on fruit could i replace with nuts and seeds instead?
You can jenny if you like
I follow a website called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (for inflammatory bowel disease and other diseases) and I am amazed at how many recipes on this website are consistent with it. Many thanks Teresa, I can’t wait to try this recipe out.
I made this, was thrilled with it. I was a bit short on almond meal so made up the balance with plain flour and it worked fine. I live in Singapore where bananas are cheap but almond meal is very expensive! I was also keen to enter the spa competition but couldn’t due to living overseas!
Hi Rachel, glad you loved my fruit loaf recipe. ! How lucky are you ! only 45 minutes away from Kamalaya in Koh Samui.
x
Would love to make this recipe and serve it to my one year old, however he is allergic to eggs. Cuuld this recipe be made without eggs or could I substitute the eggs for something else?
Hi Dominika, have not made this without eggs, but I’m sure it can be done….you’ll need to replace some of the almond meal with arrowroot….say 1/4 cup….and use mashed banana in place of the eggs….say 180 g mashed ripe banana….I haven’t tried it…maybe half the quantity first and bake the loaf without fruit to test…hope this helps
Hi Teresa,
i dont have alot of time in the kitchen so when i do, i usually cook/bake in bulk and freeze. can this loaf be frozen?
Made this yesterday when it was pouring outside with rain! I shared it with my group of study girls! They all loved it…..Perfect with a pot of green tea!
Another great recipe Teresa!
Thanks Teresa
hi, desparatley want to make this . can you tell me how many this serves? so I can calculate for my weight watchers.
Thanks
Hi Teresa,
whipped up this recipe today delicious! Just wondering your thoughts on using coconut oil in your recipes, I notice you use a few different oils but not really coconut, Ive made a similar recipe to your muesli cookies with coconut oil and they are awesome.
Hi Leah, glad you loved the fruit loaf. I mainly use unsaturated fats in my cooking. Coconut oil is a highly saturated fat, even more than butter or lard. Will only use a little of it for high heat cooking as it’s more stable or to replace butter in baking, making chocolate and in some recipes focusing on vegetarian cuisine. Stick to oils that don’t clog the arteries.
Hi Teresa, I’ve just discovered your website today and your recipes sound amazing! can’t wait to make this fruit loaf!
Wanted to know your opinion on coconut oil, as I was reading on many websites about its health benefits.
Thanks,
Paloma
Hi Teresa, love your recipes. Made this yesterday but swapped the linseed for chia, the cranberries for organic sultanas & the honey for organic maple syrup as i didn’t have any…also added pistachios… It was AMAZING…x
Hi,
I love your recipes, but just wondered how you stored this? I’ve been using a tupaware and on the rare occasions it’s lasted more then 2 days it seems to go a little funny – will it be ok in the fridge?
Thanks,
Tanya
Store in the fridge Tanya. It’s very moist so needs be stored in cool temperatures. tupaware is good
Hi Teresa
Many years ago perhaps 2005/06 you published a Banana Bread recipe in a Sunday Paper, for a wholemeal low fat banana bread, I have misplaced mine and cannot find it online on your site. I recall the recipe had skim Milk Powder in it but not the Recipe that includes Blueberries I have found of yours.
Do you still have the original recipe please?
Thanks
Lynette .
Hi Teresa,
just wondering if the fruit loaf can be frozen?
Thanks,
Kate
Yes Kate it can:) x
Hi Teresa, I tried making your healthy choc chip cookies with the coconut oil and almond meal. I followede the recipe word for word and set the oven for 20 minutes on the correct temperature but at 16 minutes they had turned into one big, burnt bubbling mess! What did I do wrong? I was so looking forward to trying them! Kate
I use either macadamia nut oil or olive oil for the cookies. Temp needs to be low as stated…..140 C. should not have burned in that amount of time. I would check your oven…..if necessary reduce heat to 120 C. LEt me know how you go.
Oh Tresea!
Just discovered your fantastic recipes, thank you so much for sharing. I am now addicted to your website. I made the healthy crunch muesli cookies the other day and they were so yummy. I am also enjoying your gluten free apple and cinnamon porridge a few times a week. Today I am going to make your fruit loaf, can’t wait!
Just one question your nutritional breakdown at the end of the recipes are they per serve? If so what is considered a serve for the fruit loaf? So 171 cals is for how much loaf?
Thanks again
Sophie
Sophie all nutritional info is per serve…Fruit loaf serves 12. so 171 per slice.
Teresa, wonderful, wonderful recipes. Love the low fat element, all fits into my program from nutritionist. Today enjoyed fruit bread, lovely. Banana bread baked last week and veggie option on meatballs were a treat.
Thanks
Faye
You are welcome Faye ! glad you are enjoying my healthy recipes. feel free to add any requests
x
I have made the fruit loaf today and as my 5 year would say OMG! very, very good – I froze some so I wouldn’t devour the whole lot !
I replaced the apricots with dried figs, it tastes divine!
Love your work Teresa!
Hi Teresa
I have a question regarding vanilla bean paste. I have just bought some vanilla beans. Do you just mash them to make the paste? Mum thought maybe you just remove the seeds and mash them. I’m thinking that is probably wrong because they are so expensive, it seems pretty wasteful.
Sorry, I’m a cooking novice and really have no idea!
Also, I was also wondering if you have a FAQs section….save you having to answer the same questions again
Thanks
Soni
Teresa
i have just discovered your website! I have been looking for healthy gluten free recipes for a while. The fruit loaf was excellent – its very moreish!! It also freezes well and everyone loves it!
thanks