"Mr. Grinch" Berry Banana Bread (Gluten Free, Vegan)

Craving a Christmas treat that tastes like the holidays but is packed with a little more nutrition (or even vegetables?!?) than your traditional Christmas cookie? Then this gluten free sugar free banana bread is exactly what you need!

Just picture it: super dense, thick and (dare I say) fudgy vegan banana bread...that's also loaded with spinach (for that gorgeous green color!), raspberries and classic Christmas spices like cinnamon and vanilla. As a bonus, this gluten free recipe is also super simple; you only need nine ingredients and all of them are probably already hangin' out in your pantry or fridge.

As for how this gluten free breakfast got its name, you have my dad to thank. Every time he saw this healthy banana bread chillin' on our kitchen counter, he called it "Grinch bread" - so that's exactly the name I decided to go with for the best gluten free banana bread I've ever baked!

Ingredients for Your Mr. Grinch Vegan Banana Bread:

Ready to dive into this delightfully healthy Christmas recipe? Then start by gathering the following ingredients, which will make two small loaves:

1½ cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (I used King Arthur's GF mix)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water or (dairy free) milk
Handful of leafy greens (I used a hearty handful of defrosted spinach)
Handful of berries (I used raspberries, but cranberries or pomegranate seeds would be equally delicious)
Splash of vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon

How to Make The Best Gluten Free Banana Bread:

This healthy banana bread recipe is also about as easy to make as it gets! Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, mash your two ripe bananas in a bowl before adding your gluten free all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda and spices. Now it's time to bring out the blender! If you want a festive green glow (and hidden veggies) for your banana bread, blend your leafy greens (I used a big handful of frozen and defrosted spinach, but you can use whatever greens you have on hand, though you'll likely want to avoid super powerful greens like arugula) with the 1/2 cup of water or milk.

Like this post? Then tweet me some love by clicking here: "Get festive for the #holidays & enjoy some hidden veggies with my secretly #healthy Mr. Grinch Berry Banana Bread! It's #glutenfree, #vegan, #refinedsugarfree...& crazy delicious! http://bit.ly/2yJS2Aj"

Once the greens are mixed well with your choice of liquid, combine it with the rest of your ingredients. If your mix is too dry (as mine was), add an additional two tablespoons of water or milk. For your last step, stir your chosen berries (I used defrosted raspberries chopped in half, but pomegranates or cranberries would be even more festive!) into the batter until they are evenly dispersed. Pour your batter into two small bread loafs (or one big one) and top with a few extra berries. 

Now it's time to pop your healthy banana breads into the oven and give them around 35 minutes to do their thang! This bread does take longer to cook because of the extra moisture from all the fruit, but I promise: the chewy, slightly gooey and 100% addictive result is totally worth the wait! This bread should last for 7-10 days when refrigerated (if you don't eat it all before then!), and you can also freeze and dethaw leftovers of the bread as needed. 

Like with all of my gluten free and vegan recipes, this gluten free banana bread is yours to experiment with! Give it a pumpkin spice twist by replacing some of the banana with pumpkin puree and by using pumpkin spice; add an even chewier element with dried fruit; or you could even toss in some spirulina powder for some extra superfoods and green color!

As for how to enjoy this gluten free banana bread, there's no wrong way to dig in! You can eat this bread as a healthy Christmas breakfast, as a tasty vegan dessert (maybe with one of my favorite vegan ice creams?) or even as a gluten free snack with yogurt and berries. Your taste buds (and stomach space) are the only limits.

It can be easy to go sugar-crazy during the holiday season, and there's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying your fair share of Christmas cookies and other treats. As this secretly healthy banana bread shows, though, sometimes veggies can taste as good as dessert when you find the right recipe.

Like this post? Then tweet me some love by clicking here: "Get festive for the #holidays & enjoy some hidden veggies with my secretly #healthy Mr. Grinch Berry Banana Bread! It's #glutenfree, #vegan, #refinedsugarfree...& crazy delicious! http://bit.ly/2yJS2Aj"

All I have to left to say? If Santa finds a plate of Mr. Grinch Berry Banana Bread waiting for him instead of cookies this year, I doubt he'll mind!

What's your favorite festive breakfast or dessert? What are your favorite banana bread add-ins? Tell me in the comments!