Chocolate Walnut Coconut Sweet Bread (gluten, grain, dairy, and refined sugar free)

I subscribe to the Nourishing Gourmet blog and I receive several times a week recipe inspiration via e-mail. A few days ago this Chocolate Raspberry Coconut Flour Cupcake recipe appeared in my inbox and I was immediately inspired to do some baking. This is saying a lot for this recipe, because I rarely bake in the warm summer months when the fruit is so sweet that nothing much else is needed for dessert and I want to spend minimal time in the kitchen and as much time outdoors as possible.

I doubled most of the base ingredients of the recipe (so that I could freeze some for later consumption) and made some simple alterations to make it higher in iron and calcium with the inclusion of some blackstrap molasses and gave it a protein boost by substituting the raspberries with walnuts. Blackstrap molasses is incredibly mineral rich and is often prescribed for anemic folks to include in their diet, but as a sweetener I don’t recommend using it as a straight substitute for other sweeteners in recipes due to its incredibly strong flavor. Did you know that only 5 walnuts a day supplies us with our daily requirements for the essential fatty acids linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid? These fatty acids have special anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-reducing properties. So enjoy this sweet treat in good health!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 cup raw honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup organic unrefined coconut oil
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 6 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease bread pans, I used a silicone mini-loaf pan to make 4 mini-loafs, you can also use two regular sized bread pans. I grease them with coconut oil.
3. Sift together coconut flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add cinnamon and stir to mix.
4. Add the eggs, coconut oil, honey, and molasses to the large bowl and mix at medium speed using an electric or hand blender until smooth.
5. Add the walnuts and mix gently using a large spoon.
6. Fill the bread pans 1/2 to 2/3 full, depending on how “tall” you want to loaves to be.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle of the loaf.