Maple Coconut Bananas

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Bananas can be a wonderful food to include in your diet and just about everybody loves them. They contain a high content of a specific type of fiber called pectin, which supports healthy digestion, helps reduce appetite between meals, and may protect against colon cancer. For those with a sensitive digestive system, bananas are usually among the easiest fruits to tolerate.

They are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium, important minerals that are involved in maintaining the health of the cardiovascular system. Additionally, scientific research has even found that women who eat the most bananas have the lowest risk of developing kidney cancer, although I suspect that most fruits would offer a very similar benefit.

This recipe offers a simple and delicious way to add more bananas to your diet. It takes literally just a couple of minutes to prepare, yet the end result is just about as satisfying as any gourmet raw dessert.

It also supplies 25 percent of your daily needs for magnesium, 37 percent for potassium, and 65 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin B6.

The combination of bananas, shredded coconut, maple syrup, and cinnamon is delightful and also very comforting. It reminds me of eating cinnamon buns but so much better because I know it doesn’t have any of the negative effects I experience after eating gluten and other refined carbs.

We usually enjoy this as a dessert or late-night meal. The combination of easily-digestible carbohydrates, along with the naturally high levels of vitamin B6 and the amino acid L-tryptophan, boosts the levels of serotonin and melatonin in the brain. I often find that eating bananas in the evening helps promote better quality sleep.

I am sure this would be equally good for breakfast, a post-workout meal, or a quick snack any time of day. This is also a great alternative carbohydrate meal for children who need to follow a gluten-free diet, or as a healthy alternative to sugary treats.

I love this recipe because it is so fast to put together and doesn’t require any planning, so long as you have ripe bananas on hand. I’ve used maple syrup here but it also works fantastic with palm sugar syrup or a good quality raw honey.

It’s also important to check the ingredients of your coconut as sometimes sulfur is added as a preservative, which can have negative health effects in those who are sensitive to it. Ideally, try to find organic shredded coconut with no additives.