In Vancouver, Erin Ireland’s To Die For Banana Bread is not news for the locals. Chances are, if you ask 10 Vancouverites in the downtown area, at least 9/10 would tell you they know about the “to die for” baked goods. I first heard about her banana bread on a local radio talk show back in 2010. With the raved reviews spreading in and around Vancouver, I ought to try it out for myself, right? Hearing that the banana bread was studded with callebaut chocolate and macadamia nuts, I just knew I had to try and find out whatever was so rave-worthy about the banana bread.

Of course, I have my priorities and unfortunately, trying banana bread was not on top of my everlasting “to-do” list. It was more like “Okay, if I ever step into a cafe and they served her banana bread, I’d order a slice for myself” type of thing, instead of “Ermagoodness, I gotta try her banana bread like nowww! Where is the closest location?”. Maybe in the back of my mind, I knew that banana bread was not difficult to make and that I could make a whole giant loaf for myself for the price of a slice… Yep, I live the hashtag cheap student life, and I like to keep my wallet healthy too!

It also doesn’t help that Leung and I have both baked over 100 loaves of banana bread of various sizes these past years to raise money for an orphanage in Uganda called Jaaja Barb’s Home of Angels. I must say that the even smell of banana bread became quite sickening upon our massive baking “parties” consisting of a wild number of 4 people. I must admit that we totally throw the best parties… they are so rowdy that they are held in the foods room at our high school. Party snacks include burnt banana bread, under-baked banana bread, banana bread stuck to the pan, banana bread with unfortunate mishaps, and even rock solid baking soda-less banana bread (fits into the mishaps category but this one really deserves an honorary mention).  Sometimes, we even attract guests to come in, including the school custodian and even the occasional special appearance of our very own principal. Shhh, we seduce attract people with the scent of freshly baked banana bread and our jazzy tunes. But hey, I am far from complaining, those kinds of parties are the best kind anyway… this is Baking + Philanthropy + Good company… what else does a girl need? Those things combined together are basically what I am all about (alongside with outdoor adventures!!). I love this charity and what it stands for, and you should follow the blog of the wonderful Jaaja Barb here. You will be so touched and inspired, and perhaps you can start holding baking parties of your own to help out! If you do, fly Barb an email, and she would be so thrilled; I would be too!!

Back to Erin Ireland’s famous banana bread, Leung and I finally got around to try it at Bella Gelateria in Vancouver during the annual Hot Chocolate Festival in Vancouver held every winter around Christmastime. Each hot chocolate came with a teeny piece of Erin’s Banana Bread, probably because the staff was in midst of the winter blues (she seemed a little bitter toward us), but the bread itself was nevertheless, unique. It was a combination of sweet and salty, and we could really taste the quality of the ingredients. Thanks, Erin Ireland, your recipe is pretty fantastic!

With a healthy focus in mind, I whipped up my own batch of sweet and salty banana cupcakes. I am so proud of this recipe, and I know everyone will just fall in love with it! It is uber moist and the hint saltiness just brings out the flavours of the cupcakes to a whole new level! The frosting is optional, but you all know I love me some peanut butter, and are cupcakes even cupcakes without frosting?

Your friends and family will never have to know that these are 100% nutritious and gluten-free. Who says gluten-free baking means dense baked goods and the need for those pricey “all-purpose gluten-free flour” blends? This recipe proves that even without a million different flours/starches at home, you can make a deliciously moist, completely healthy, and gluten-free cupcake for any occasion and any time of day.