Some of the greatest inventions have been born out of a need. The Lemon Raspberry + Chia Loaf has followed this path.
Out having brunch with a friend I saw a Lemon Raspberry + Chia Loaf on the menu. As you can imagine I was very excited. It also said it was vegan, which for me is good as I am lactose intolerant and try to stay away from diary.
That excitement was very quickly replaced with disappointment.
It was sooo sugary….
I looked over to my friend and said I could so make this without all the sugar and the refined flour.
And I did!!
And this Lemon Raspberry + Chia Loaf is so moist, so tasty + has been a total crowd-pleaser!
I kept it Vegan as my friend is Vegan + I wanted her to be able to enjoy it. It was super easy to do as chia ‘egg’ is a great alternative + I was using chia in the recipe anyway.
Finding yummy wholefood treats in the UK has been really tricky. In fact I don’t think I have found any when I’ve been out for coffee + cake.
I can get gluten free. Or I can get vegan. Occasionally gluten free + vegan. But unfortunately then it’s usually packed with sugar.
Now I’m not against gluten. I do find though that when we eat lots of processed, bleached white flour, it can be quite inflammatory. Cakes + loaves are more often than not made from these + not from nutritious flours such as spelt. Unfortunately if you head for a gluten free option they are usually packed with sugar.
One of the most inflammatory foods is refined sugars. And the amount that is added into cakes + loaves is quite high. Sugar is often the second highest in terms of quantity, except if you are having a gluten free cake, then this is often the highest. Add to this with the processed white flour, cakes + loaves aren’t the best for our health. And as someone who is really trying to reduce inflammation I am trying to stay away from this.
Personally I try as much as possible to stay away from milk and milk based products, due to my lactose intolerant. So a Vegan option always ticks this box, but again the sugar content it high.
This Lemon Raspberry + Chia Loaf is filled with a delightful zesty lemon flavour, it is moist, retains a lovely cakey texture and on baking turns golden. This is brilliant because it has all of the parts of a traditional cake or loaf we love without all the inflammatory ingredients.
With what was a fluke of a first try, I was so excited with how this Lemon Raspberry + Chia Loaf turned out. This is a loaf that can actually be enjoyed anytime of the day. And has been known to be on my plate at breakfast!
Enjoy the burst of flavour from this loaf and please let me know if you make this.
. n’t8
What Do I Need?
- 100ml of Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds, ground
- 6 Tablespoons of Water
- 150g of Buckwheat Flour
- 100g of Almond Meal
- 100g of Coconut Sugar
- 110g of Coconut Yoghurt, plain or vanilla
- 60ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon of Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda
- 2 Lemons – Zest of 2, Juice of 1
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds, whole
Lemon Glaze
- 1½ lemons (zest of 1 and juice of 1½)
- 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup or Honey
Raspberry Chia Jam
- 225g (1.5 cups) raspberries (if using frozen raspberries, allow them to defrost first)
- 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup or Honey
- 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
- 1 + 1/2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds
Let’s Do This!
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Add the apple cider vinegar to the Almond milk, stir and set aside for 10 minutes until the mixture curdles.
3. Make the chia ‘eggs’. Put the ground chia seeds to a small bowl with the 6 tablespoons of water, stir and leave until it thickens. You may want to give it another stir as it thickens to make sure it’s all being soaked up.
4. In a large mixing bowl place the almond meal, buckwheat flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the lemon zest, sugar and stir together.
5. Make a well in the centre of the dried ingredients and add the coconut yoghurt, chia ‘eggs’, almond milk/apple cider vinegar mix, olive oil + the lemon juice. Stir carefully to combine to a smooth cake batter.
6. Fold the whole chia seeds into the mix. You need to do this just before putting the mix into the tin and into the oven. If they sit in the mix too long before cooking they will absorb the moisture from the mix.
7. Spoon the loaf mix into the loaf tin + place on the middle shelf of the oven. Cook for 40 minutes, until golden on top + the cake springs back when touched.
8. Remove from the oven + place on a wire cooling rack to cool in the tin.
9. Whilst the loaf is cooling make the Raspberry Jam. In a small saucepan heat the raspberries with 1 Tablespoon of water over medium heat. Mash the raspberries as they begin to heat up. When the raspberries have broken down to a saucy consistency add the maple syrup or honey and vanilla and stir until combined. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool a little before add the chia seeds. Once the jam has reached room temperature transfer it to the fridge for an hour to set.
10. Once cooled slice in half length ways + fill with 1/2-2/3 of the Chia Jam (enjoy the leftovers). Place in the fridge.
11. To make the lemon drizzle, add the maple syrup or honey to a small saucepan and add the lemon juice. Gently heat until the maple syrup or honey to has dissolved into the lemon juice. Add the zest + remove from the heat. Allow it to cool slightly. Remove the loaf from the fridge, poke a few holes in the cake then spoon the lemon drizzle mixture over the top of the loaf. You may want to give it a couple of coats. Place it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes then ENJOY!
Slice into 10-12 slices
This recipe is gluten, dairy + egg free + suitable for vegans.