A couple of months ago, one of my dearest friends Molly moved all the way to Aus. Every birthday and occasion, I would always beg Molly to make me her banana bread because it was insanely good! (Along with her flapjacks…)

I miss Mol massively, and so this week I decided to make Ella’s courgette banana bread in her honour.

I have been having it ever morning with some peanut butter for an indulgent brekkie!

Shopping list: chia seeds, 1 small courgette, 5 over-ripened bananas, 1 apple, 1 vanilla pod, brown rice flour, maple syrup, cinnamon, coconut oil

Deliciously Ella’s recipe suggests 4 tablespoons of apple puree. However, I have not got round to making a big batch of apple puree yet, so I just mashed up my apple here ad hoc. However, if you’re more organised than me, please substitute 1 apple with apple puree, as Ella suggests!

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius

2. Chop up the apple into chunks. I leave the skin on here because I’m lazy, and it adds a bit more texture to the banana bread. Place in a saucepan with 2cm of water, a dash of maple syrup, and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Leave to cook for 10-15 minutes, until it’s soft enough to blend into a smooth puree, or just mash with a potato masher!

3. Place 2 tablespoons of chia seeds in a mug with 8 tablespoons of water. Mix and then leave this for 10 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and forms a gel.

4. Coarsely grate the courgette and add to a bowl with 4 mashed up bananas. Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds, and add this to the bowl too

5. Add 300g brown rice flour, 4 tablespoons maple syrup, your apple puree, and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Mix altogether, and finally stir in the chia seeds.

6. Oil a loaf tin with some coconut oil. Scoop the batter into the tin.

7. With the final banana, cut in half lengthways and place it on top of the batter, pressing it in slightly.

8. Bake for 45-50 minutes