Cardamom Banana Bread with Pistachios

Earlier this month, I made a Molasses-Oat Banana Bread. My non-vegan fiance loved it so much that I promised him another banana bread recipe soon! The wonderful thing about banana bread is how versatile it is; in this version, cardamom stands in for vanilla extract, and pistachios add a lovely crunch!

To start, lightly spoon 2 cups all-purpose flour into measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour in a large bowl with 3/4 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup raw sugar, 1/2 cup packed organic brown sugar, and 1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance); beat for about 1 minute, until blended. Add the equivalent of 2 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G), one at a time, and beat after each addition.

Add 1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana, 1/3 cup vegan sour cream (such as Tofutti), and 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom; beat to combine.

Add the flour mixture, beating just until moist, then stir in 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios.

Spoon the batter into an 8x4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into 16 servings of 190 calories each.

Cost:
bananas $1.26
pistachios $7.99