This is the best vegan banana bread ever—super moist and deliciously sweet from the dates.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 loaf

　　12 ounces firm silken tofu

　　1/2 cup light agave nectar

　　1 cup mashed ripe bananas

　　1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

　　2 teaspoons vanilla extract

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　1/4 cup canola oil

　　1 3/4 cups sprouted spelt flour or sprouted whole wheat flour

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1 cup pitted dates, chopped

　　1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

　　2 tablespoons flaxseeds (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

　　

Step 2

Coat a 4- by 8-inch loaf pan with nonstick canola oil spray and flour lightly. In a food processor, combine the tofu, agave nectar, bananas, apple juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and canola oil. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the tofu mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just blended. Fold in the dates, walnuts, and flaxseeds. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.