Foodie Fridays: Giraffe Bread

Believe it or not, I actually found a giraffe recipe that does not involve eating a giraffe!  Almost as important for me is the fact that this Gluten-Free Banana Giraffe Bread contains no wheat flour or added sugar (except for the sugar in the chocolate chips).  The bread gets its name from the alternating dark and light pattern of the bread when sliced, which resembles the coat pattern of the giraffe (although mine ended up looking more striped than reticulated, I have to say!).  The small amount of flour used is coconut flour, and the sweetness of the bread comes mainly from the bananas.

This bread tastes just like regular banana bread, and I could not even tell that there was almost no flour or sugar!  It does take a bit of time to put together, but no more so than making a marbled loaf bread of any kind, and the end result is so moist and delicious it is worth the little bit of extra effort.  And it is just so darned pretty, plus the name is so much fun!

Giraffe Bread

5-6 (about 20 oz.) ripe bananas*
4 eggs
1/2 C. almond butter
4 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. coconut flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 C. dark chocolate chips

Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a hand mixer until almost smooth (there will be tiny lumps from the bananas).  You can use a blender instead for this step if you prefer, and then pour the liquid mixture into a large bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips until well moistened.

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and heat in the microwave on HIGH for one minute.  Stir and microwave for 15 seconds at a time until completely melted.  Add two cups of the batter to the melted chocolate and stir well to combine.

In a parchment-lined loaf pan, add a few blobs of the chocolate mixture, spaced well apart.  Cover with some of the banana batter.  Repeat, varying the areas where the chocolate batter is spooned.  I had some leftover chocolate chips, so I sprinkled those on top of the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick or wooden skewer.  When the toothpick or skewer comes out clean, remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.  Cool at least 2 hours before slicing.  Makes 1 large loaf.

*The weight is more important than the number of bananas.