When Trader Joe's came out with Vegan Banana Bread With Walnuts [1], I was of course excited to see yet another amazing vegan product [2], but I wasn't about to buy it. It looked delish, but I'm a baker! My love of baking came from my mother, and banana bread [3] is one of my favorite recipes to bake, so I wouldn't think to buy a loaf from a store. That's not to say I wasn't curious about how it tasted! Here's how I came to try it and how I became Trader Joe's number-one Vegan Banana Bread fan.
Why I Finally Tried It
I was strolling through my local Trader Joe's with the kiddos in tow, and the free sample of the day was, you guessed it: Vegan Banana Bread With Walnuts. We all tried a bite and aside from the delicious taste, the nutritional info inspired me to put the $4 loaf in my cart.
The Ingredients
I always read the list of ingredients before buying something, just to make sure there's nothing funky or unpronounceable in the list. I was very pleased to see that the very first ingredient in this banana bread was, in fact, banana puree.
It is made with enriched flour, which isn't optimal, but come on — this is banana bread! It's made with sugar too, but so is the banana bread I make from scratch. The list of ingredients is basically what my recipe looks like, so I felt good about that.
The Nutritional Info
With eight servings per loaf, the slices don't seem huge for 210 calories, but after eating one, it was so flavorful and dense that I felt satisfied afterward. With 30 grams of carbs and not too much fiber (that surprised me a little), this would make a tasty pre-workout snack, or top it with peanut butter for a post-workout nibble or an after-dinner treat.
How Does It Taste?
I was shocked at how much this Trader Joe's Vegan Banana Bread With Walnuts tastes like homemade. It's full of strong banana flavor, it's sweet but not overly sweet, it has a nice soft, spongy texture, and I love the bits of walnuts for crunchiness.
If you have a brunch to go to or are sharing a picnic lunch, this would be the perfect treat to bring along. You could even unwrap it and put it in a container and tell everyone you baked it. I won't tell, and they'll never know!
It's Vegan, but You'd Never Know!
While this banana bread is vegan, no one would ever guess! Actually, many banana bread and muffin recipes are dairy- and egg-free because they use oil instead of butter, and the banana is so moist, it acts like a binder the way eggs would. All you need to know is that this is damn delicious!