Salted Caramel Banana Bread With Sweet Onions & Chocolate Chips | Paleo, Gluten Free & Dairy Free
Caramel and onions and bananas, OH MY! Yes - all of that and chocolate chips, too. This recipe almost didn’t happen, but I’m so glad it did. I was about to make a batch of banana bread because my bananas were barely hanging on. I knew that if I didn’t try and throw in some onions and caramel that I would regret it forever (too dramatic?).
My mom once accidentally made a banana and onion soup. She thought the frozen bananas were cubes of broth or something.... nope they were small pieces of bananas and she said it was a really good soup. Maybe there is something to putting sweet bananas with onions? Apple didn't fall far from the tree I guess.
Anyway, what a delightfully weird and very epic combination. Sweet onions and caramel in banana bread? Definitely a YES from me. It's a TOTES McGOTES moment if you will.
I have been putting onions in lots of things lately, including this Rosemary Sweet Onion Tarte Tatin and an Onion Applesauce. I also have been putting Sweet Apricity Caramels into my mouth.
Sweet Apricity makes AIP/Paleo friendly caramels that are made with just 5 ingredients. Everything is small batch, hand poured and hand wrapped. They remind me of my Grammy’s caramels. My Grampa John’s mom used to make homemade caramels, and they were her signature thing. Oh, they were so good. These are just as good… well, honestly, they are better because they are made with healthier ingredients.
I highly recommend that you check out Sweet Apricity’s incredible line or products! My most favorite product they make are the Salted Caramel Lily Puffs. It’s like eating “Caramel Corn” again, but without the corn. They are puffed Lily Seeds coated in their caramel sauce, and they are Paleo and AIP friendly, dairy-free, non-GMO, grain-free, and made with simple and healthy ingredients!
Also, if you're wondering what to do with the chopped onions and really questioning whether or not I put them in this banana bread FOR REALS ... you do what Moira said to do... you just fold it in! DUH!
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INGREDIENTS
3 brown bananas
3 eggs
1 TB olive oil
1 TB vanilla
1 1/4 cup + 2 TB almond flour
2 TB flaxseed meal
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup Vidalia Onions (sweet onion), minced
1/3 cup Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems
*For the caramels: Unwrap caramels and place them in between parchment paper and roll them out to be flat. You could also use your hands to “smoosh” them flat. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Don’t remove them until you need them for the recipe.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mash bananas and mix with wet ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix everything together. Fold in onions (See! I am not lying about adding onions to this banana bread).
Remove caramels from freezer and break them into pieces. If you use a hammer or hard tool of some kind they will shatter into small pieces. Just be mindful of your counter. Perhaps do it on a cutting board.
Either fold in chocolate gems (or chips) or sprinkle on top of the loaf.
Spray loaf pan and/or line with parchment paper. Pour batter in a loaf pan and bake for 45min-55min.
Slice and enjoy warm, cold, toasted, with nut butter on top, with your morning coffee or an afternoon snack or dessert.
