Eating well for eczema | Moist banana bread

This banana bread has no eggs and contains a flavourless oil in place of butter and is beautifully moist. It is best eaten on the day it is made but if you have any left over, it is delicious sliced, toasted and spread with butter or dairy free spread. Riper bananas will make the cake sweeter.

Your kids can help with measuring out the ingredients and peeling (and squishing) the bananas and we think this will become a firm teatime favourite.

Bananas contain high levels of vitamin C and B6 both of which are known to support the function of the liver. To read about the role the liver plays in eczema and how to ensure your little one’s diet helps their liver to function efficiently, click here. While bananas contain some amines, which can aggravate itching in some people, they also contain amine reducing magnesium and vitamin C. If your little one’s skin appears to react to bananas, they may be sensitive to amines. You can read more about chemical intolerances here.

But that’s enough of the worthy stuff, let’s crack on with the eczema friendly baking!

Ingredients

• 4 very ripe bananas
• 150g caster sugar
• 125ml sunflower oil
• 125ml organic oat milk
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 350g gluten free self raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarb of soda
• Pinch salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan, gas mark 4.
2. Line a large loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
3. Peel the bananas, break into chunks in a large bowl and use a hand mixer on a slow speed to mash the bananas (or get the kids to squish them with their hands, the highlight of the baking experience for our two eczema kids!).
4. Add the sugar to the banana and beat well to dissolve the sugar. Pour in the sunflower oil, oat milk and vanilla essence and beat well.
5. Add the flour, bicarb of soda and salt in a couple of batches and very gently mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Do not overbeat or your cake will be tough.
6. Pour into the prepared tin and place on the bottom shelf of the oven. Cook for approximately an hour or until well risen and an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if the top gets too brown during cooking.
7. Leave in the tin to cool slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool.

As well as sharing our experience of bringing up an eczema child (and favourite allergy-friendly recipes), we also manufacture and sell our unique stay-on scratch mitts and PJs for itchy babies, toddlers and children. We now stock sizes from 0-adult years in a range of colours and designs. Visit our online shop for more information.