Date Banana Bread

0 Prepare the Pan & Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a two-inch overhang for easy removal.
1 Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a food processor, add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, walnuts, and salt. Pulse briefly to combine—walnuts should remain in pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.
2 Make the Date-Banana Base: In the same food processor, blend 1¼ cups dates with milk until smooth and paste-like. Add melted butter (or oil), eggs, vanilla, and chopped bananas. Pulse a few times until mostly smooth.
3 Combine: Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Add the remaining ¼ cup chopped dates and stir just until moistened, and do not over-mix. Tip: The batter should be thick, slow-dropping and mound slightly when spooned. If it looks thin, stir in 1–2 tablespoons of flour.
4 Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Top with walnut halves if using. Bake for [timer minutes=60]60–70 minutes[/timer], or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Tip: Tent with foil if the top gets too dark; I put foil on after 40 minutes to prevent the walnuts from burning.