Salted Caramel Banana Bread (Vegan)

Step 1

Dissolve sugar: Warm coconut cream, sugar, and maple syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat, until bubbles appear and sugar is dissolved.

Step 2

Simmer: Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, to ensure the mixture doesn't stick to the sides of the pot.

Step 3

Cool: Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Transfer mixture to a covered container. Refrigerate until set, ideally overnight (caramel will lighten in color and firm up as it cools).

Step 4

Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).

Step 5

Whisk batter: In a large bowl, whisk together ground flax and warm water until smooth. Whisk in banana, coconut oil, cane sugar, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.

Step 6

Add flour: Gently stir in flour, just until the last streak of flour is incorporated (use as few strokes as possible to avoid over mixing).

Step 7

Bake: Transfer batter to a parchment-lined 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the loaf, comes out clean (about 60 minutes). Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 8

Assemble: Right before serving, top the cooled loaf with the salted caramel. If desired, garnish with flaky salt (see note 4). Slice and serve immediately (see note 5).