Dissolve sugar: Warm coconut cream, sugar, and maple syrup in a small sauce pan over medium heat, until bubbles appear and sugar is dissolved.
Simmer: Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, to ensure the mixture doesn't stick to the sides of the pot.
Cool: Remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Transfer mixture to a covered container. Refrigerate until set, ideally overnight (caramel will lighten in color and firm up as it cools).
Banana Bread
Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
Whisk batter: In a large bowl, whisk together ground flax and warm water until smooth. Whisk in banana, coconut oil, cane sugar, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well mixed.
Add flour: Gently stir in flour, just until the last streak of flour is incorporated (use as few strokes as possible to avoid over mixing).
Bake: Transfer batter to a parchment-lined 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the loaf, comes out clean (about 60 minutes). Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Assemble: Right before serving, top the cooled loaf with the salted caramel. If desired, garnish with flaky salt (see note 4). Slice and serve immediately (see note 5).
Notes
Coconut cream: Either from a can of coconut cream, or the solids scooped from a can of full fat coconut milk. If using canned coconut milk, some brands will separate in the can at room temperature. But many don't, so to maximize separation, put the can at the back of the fridge overnight (or ideally 24 hours) before using.
Measuring by weight: For the most reliable results, we recommend measuring by weight when baking. Ingredient weights are provided in metric. If you must go by volume (measuring cups), make sure to fluff, spoon, and level the flour to avoid adding too much.
Caramel sauce: The caramel sauce takes time to cool and firm up, so make it the night before. The caramel will firm up and lighten in color the longer it stays in the fridge. Give it a good stir, to re-mix, before using. To bring the caramel back to a more liquid state, either leave it out at room temperature or place it in a warm water bath until it reaches your desired consistency.
Flaky salt: Garnish with flaky salt just before serving. The salt will dissolve into the caramel relatively quickly, making them harder to see (although you'll still taste it).
Serving and storage tips: Once the banana bread is topped with the caramel sauce, it's best served immediately. The caramel sauce with soften as it warms up at room temperature. You can cover the caramel sauced banana bread and leave on the counter for 1 to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. For best results, store the banana bread and caramel sauce separately, and assemble just before serving. You can also serve slices of banana bread with a spoonful of caramel on the side.