All I can think as I write this post is how thankful I am for the warmth of my home, the glow of my desk lamp, and the hum of the refrigerator right now. As I watch the coverage of the massive east coast storm pummeling the shore, I can only offer up heartfelt prayers for those affected by Sandy and its aftermath. While people in the east huddle in their homes and brave the fierce elements, I find myself incredibly grateful for the bluebird sky outside my window and the undisturbed routine of my city.

Nature has a way of putting things in perspective. Seeing 20 foot swells of water clash into each other in foamy wrath, and then spotting the tiny reporter with his microphone in the corner of the TV screen, just makes my jaw drop.

It’s hard to write about banana bread when I know that so many people are taking the brunt of such a brutal storm right now. If it were me, I know I’d be frightened and that I’d find comfort in having my family close by.

I’d also seek comfort in wholesome food and, if my oven was working, bake a few loaves bread to pass the time and keep my spirits up.

When I shared my recipe for egg-free Pumpkin Raisin Walnut Bread last week, I hinted that a grain-free quick bread recipe was coming your way. So here we have mini grain-free Spiced Banana Ginger Loaves.

Made with two of my favorite gluten-free flours, these loaves are moist, tender, and lightly spiced. A little molasses adds that irresistible gingerbread flavor, but otherwise it’s just the bananas that sweeten this bread. And I kid you not, you’ll think there’s (refined) sugar in this. It’s sweet and indulgent and tastes really bad for you but it’s really not.

It’s a perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack with a cup of tea. I usually stock all of the ingredients for this bread in my kitchen, so it’s easy to whip up on a whim.

I used my mini loaf pans again to yield petite loaves that hold a perfect slice. The recipe makes two loaves. Enjoy one now and tuck the other in your freezer to pull out on a rainy day. Or wrap it up and give it to someone you love as a small token of joy and thoughtfulness. I wish I could magically place a loaf in the kitchen of every nervous east coaster, along with a jar of almond butter and maybe some coconut oil to smear on top. Storm sustenance at its finest.

Wherever we are and whatever life brings us, it’s most often the little pleasures in life—the sliver of blue sky in a canvas of clouds, the steaming cup of tea enjoyed with a friend, the loaf of banana bread still warm from the oven—that pull us through and remind us to loosen our grip on the temporal and embrace what truly matters in life instead.

Whether you’re in the path of the storm or not, I hope you’ll enjoy this bread with someone you love and find yourself grateful for life’s many blessings.

Spiced Banana Ginger Loaves
Makes 2 small loaves

2 cups (192 grams) blanched almond flour

1/4 cup (29 grams) coconut flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and broken into chunks

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted (plus more for greasing the pans)

2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 mini loaf pans with coconut oil. (The pans I use are about 6×3 inches.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade or a blender, process the bananas, eggs, coconut oil, molasses, flaxseed, and vanilla until very smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Stir in the chopped nuts.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smoothing the tops to be level. Bake for about 35 minutes until dark brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the loaves in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Stored sliced bread in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.