Admin • 10 October 2023
Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Bread
This is the most wonderful no sugar and vegan cake. It’s doesn’t have frosting so is easy to box up and take on picnics. It makes the most amazing post wild swim snack too. Adapted from a recipe by Madeleine Shaw.

Ingredients
- coconut oil, for greasing (optional)
- 80ml maple syrup
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 100g coconut oil, melted
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 200g spelt flour or gluten-free flour
- 1tbsp chia seeds
- 1tsp baking powder
- ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 150g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks or chips
- 125g peanut butter or almond butter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease a loaf tin with coconut oil or line with baking paper.
- Put the maple syrup, mashed banana, coconut oil, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the flour, chia seeds, baking powder, bicarb and salt. Tip the flour mixture into the wet mixture in the first bowl and stir together well.
- Pour a quarter of the batter into the prepared loaf tin, then sprinkle a quarter of the chocolate chips over and dot a quarter of the nut butter on top in teaspoons. Repeat this layering with the rest of the mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until just cooked through and golden on top. You want this cake to be moist. Remove from the loaf tin and leave to cool on a wire rack, then slice and enjoy.
If you try this recipe, please leave a like, comment or message!

A New Chapter: Yoga, Food & Connection This week marked a beautiful milestone for us. We hosted our very first Yoga & Seasonal Supper Evening and Day Retreat. What a joy it was! Both events were filled with warmth, laughter, movement, and the most wonderful mix of local students, retreat guests, and dear friends. These gatherings felt like more than just events, they were a chance to reconnect, recharge, and simply be. Sharing yoga and nourishing food in a mindful, welcoming space reminded us just how powerful these small moments of togetherness can be. The evening was very mellow, with a relaxed yoga flow with myself followed by a 3 course seasonal meal, where conversation and laughter flowed. Our Day Retreat at The Barn gave our guests time to really settle in. it was an opportunity to show off our wonderful North Wales venue and for us to try out our new business idea. We began with a strong yoga practise to help ground and relax the guests. We walked into the hills, breathed deeply in the fresh air, and even dipped toes into the newly renovated woodland pond, complete with a jetty! It felt like stepping into a secret sanctuary. We also had the pleasure of welcoming chef Kelly Mason, who generously shared some of her favourite cooking tips and seasonal inspiration with us all. And of course, what’s a retreat without something delicious to nibble on? I had the fun job of making energy balls for our guests, and I wanted to share this quick, zesty recipe with you. It’s perfect for busy weekends or a midweek pick-me-up. They're easy, bright, and full of goodness, just like the events themselves. Both events were a great success, and we’ll be offering them every quarter going forward. They’re a beautiful way to honour the changing seasons and to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with each other.

In late January and early February the young nettle leaves are starting to appear. Nettles are full of vitamins and minerals especially rich in iron and vitamins A and D. They can be cooked in soups as a substitute for spinach, or use raw blitzed for pesto. These nettle oat wraps/crepes are versatile and can […]
The post Nettle Oat Wraps/Crepes appeared first on The Zest Life.

Here at Zest Life we are all about wellness and vitality and as work our way through Winter it can be hard to feel such vitality. This is where we choose to turn the self care that we can implement on a daily basis without too much effort – Skin. As we all know when you […]
The post 6 great skincare tips appeared first on The Zest Life.