Plantain Bread or Plantain Cake with a touch of cardamom and coconut, a healthy dessert recipe with no refined sugar added. The cake is sweetened with maple syrup and has a lovely moist and fluffy texture. It's quick and easy to make with a few simple ingredients, and can be enjoyed for brunch, dessert or afternoon tea time.
Similar to the more popular banana bread, this plantain bread is as luscious and easy to make, with an exotic touch that makes it irresistible to anyone who has a sweet tooth, but also appreciate a healthier treat.
Based on my Honey Banana Bread which is sweetened with honey only, plus the natural sweetness of the ripe bananas, my plantain bread has a similar gorgeous texture and delicious taste. I also have another variation: Pumpkin Banana Bread and that's so good too!
The addition of coconut milk and cardamom adds such a delicate flavour to this dessert, which I would definitely add to my Afternoon Tea Menu for this upcoming Mother's Day.
These flavours also remind me of my Sweet Plantains in Coconut Milk which use ripe plantains, cardamom and coconut milk.
The cake might not seem sweet enough, especially if you are rather fond of refined sugar, but to me, it has the right amount of sweetness, and can be served with yogurt, honey or extra maple syrup and berries - what a healthy treat that is!
Ingredients used
- plantains - use really ripe plantains that are turning from yellow to nearly black
- flour - I used self-raising flour, but plain flour is also ok
- coconut milk - use full-fat tinned coconut milk rather than drinking coconut milk as it's creamier and more flavourful
- maple syrup - adds sweetness and a subtle woodsy touch
- bicarbonate of soda - for a fluffy texture
- ground cardamom
- eggs -at room temperature
- vegetable oil - it helps with the moist texture
Variations
Maple syrup can be replaced with honey or indeed with refined sugar - depending on how sweet you like the cake to be. In all honesty, I would leave the loaf to be on the healthier side rather to spoil it with sugar.
The ground cardamom is optional, but if you can get some, I highly recommend it, it adds a lot of flavour to the cake.
Coconut milk can be replaced with regular milk or any other plant-based milk - if you do go for coconut milk, do choose the full-fat one, the reduced-fat milk is rather watery and bland.
Vegetable oil can be replaced with coconut oil for a more coconuty touch - but that's entirely optional.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a large bowl, sift the flour, add the bicarb of soda, and mix well
- in a jug, crack the eggs in and use a fork to beat them well
- add the maple syrup, oil and coconut milk to them and mix again
- combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients
- peel and chop the plantains, and add them to a blender
- blitz well to get a smooth paste
- add the plantain paste to the rest of the ingredients together with the cardamom
- use a spatula to combine everything
- grease and flour a loaf tin - mine is 20x11x5 cm and spread the batter evenly
- bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit, 160 fan oven) for 35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Expert tips
Bake the cake in the middle of the oven rather than the top rack to avoid the loaf browning too quickly while the middle is still raw. Alternatively, you can use a kitchen foil to loosely cover the tin towards the end of the baking time.
You can use use a combo of plantain and banana for this bread - do make sure both are really ripe, the blacker the skin of the fruit, the better the taste.
If you’ve liked this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM , YOUTUBE, TIK TOK , FLIPBOARD and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Plantain Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 2 ripe plantains
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the bicarb of soda and mix well.
- In a jug, crack the eggs and use a fork to beat really well.
- Pour in the coconut milk and oil, and give the mixture a good stir.
- Peel and chop the plantains and add them to a blender.
- Blitz until you get a smooth paste.
- Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, add the mashed plantains and cardamom, and mix.
- Grease and flour a loaf tin - mine is 20 x11x6 cm, and spread the batter evenly.
- Bake for 35 minutes until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Bake the cake in the middle of the oven rather than the top rack to avoid the loaf browning too quickly while the middle is still raw.
- Alternatively, you can use a kitchen foil to loosely cover the tin towards the end of the baking time.
- You can use use a combo of plantain and banana for this bread - do make sure both are really ripe, the blacker the skin of the fruit, the better the taste.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
brenda hobbs says
Exceptional! I have about 30 more plantains left on the tree! The plan now is to make this wonderful bread 15 more times with one thing new each time: walnuts, chia seeds, cinnamon etc.... Finally an alternative to the common fried plantains recipes! Thank you!!
Daniela Apostol says
The plantain bread is delicious, l hope you enjoy it!
Anna says
I haven't made it yet but I appreciate that it is easy and simple. I am very excited to give it a try!
Daniela Apostol says
I hope you enjoy it, it's delicious!