Dairy-Free Feijoa and Ginger Loaf

If you’re a fan of feijoas, you’ll know that it is hard to stop at just a few. In fact, I have a knife scar on my finger from childhood, proof of when I went into a feijoa eating frenzy! I knew that I’d probably had my fair share,  but just couldn’t stop…so I snuck some into my room and tried slicing them in secret on my bed, instead, slicing my finger and quickly having to bust my secret to scream for help! Safe knife use lesson learned, but at nearly 40, despite still seeing that scar, I still can’t stop once I start on them, and will be the first to admit that while creating this recipe, it would often be a “one for the mix, one for my mouth” type scenario. This loaf is lovely and light, and not too sweet, yet rich with the distinct feijoa flavour that will indeed, have you reaching for more. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of wholemeal spelt flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

¾ cup of coconut sugar

½ cup of almond meal

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

½ cup of almond milk

1 tablespoon of melted coconut oil

1 large free-range egg, lightly whisked to combine

1 ¼ cups of feijoa flesh (mashed with a fork)

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Directions:

1. Turn the oven to fan bake 175°C 
2. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper
3. Mix all of the dry ingredients together
4. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients together
5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined
6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out of the middle clean
7. Enjoy warm (cool in the baking tin for at least 10 minutes first though), or cool on a wire rack and then slice and eat as is, or with your favourite topping! 

Nutrition Bite: While extremely popular in NZ and often synonymous with the Kiwi diet, feijoas actually originated in Brazil. They are also known as pineapple guava as some say their taste is akin to a mixture of pineapples and guavas! Feijoas are naturally high in gut-healthy fibre and immune-boosting vitamin C. Get stuck in!