Do you want to make someone’s day? Bake banana bread!
Just yesterday I said, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” and saw a grown man’s eyes light up like a child’s on Christmas morning.
Banana bread is one of those classic all peoples comfort food recipes that fills the whole house with warmth and makes everything better. Banana bread is magical.
I perfected this banana bread recipe for my cookbook and wanted to share it with you here. This recipe has all the hallmarks of classic banana bread – it’s fluffy, moist, infused with a sweet banana flavor, and is adored by young children and adults alike.
Cousin? This recipe calls for just a bowl, a few measuring cups, and a few basic ingredients.
What makes this banana bread healthy?1.This banana bread recipe is made with 100 percent whole wheat flour, as opposed to traditional banana bread recipes that call for refined flour and lots of processed sugar.
2. This banana bread is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, which offer some trace nutrients that white sugar does not required to add it.
3. Lastly, but not listed this recipe contain with a reasonable amount of unrefined oil rather than whole sticks of butter (choose from virgin coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil).
As you can see, my homemade banana bread has many redeeming qualities, the main one being that it won’t spike your blood sugar levels. However, you can keep them all for yourself. No one can say that this is healthy banana bread!
Banana bread flour options :
This recipe is flexible! Any of the following flours will work fine. I love using white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour; They offer all the nutrients of whole wheat, without the characteristic nutty flavor.
* All-purpose flour
* Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
* Oatmeal*
* Spelt flour
* Whole wheat flour
* Whole wheat pastry flour
* White whole wheat flour
* To substitute for oatmeal, you will need 2 1/2 cups
Tip: how to measure flour
For best results, it is important to measure flour correctly. Here’s how to measure flour into cups using the “spoon and swoop” method:
1. Gently stir the flour with a large spoon to loosen it.
2. Pour the flour into your measuring cup (don’t pour it!).
3. Level off excess with a butter knife.
Banana bread variations
Now finally I’ve become perfected this basic banana bread, feel free to change this recipe and make it your own. Add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter! The same goes for chocolate chips. You can also add raisins, chopped nuts, or banana slices.
Do you follow a special diet? With a couple of minor adjustments, you can make this bread vegan (dairy and egg free) or gluten free. See recipe notes for more details.
Healthy Banana Bread
- Author: Shubham Bhoyar
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Quick Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you are just a few ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It is made with whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. You can make this banana bread vegan or gluten free easily; see recipe notes for details. The recipe makes 1 bar (approximately 10 slices).
INGREDIENTS
* ⅓ cup (75 grams) of melted coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil or high-quality vegetable oil *
* ½ cup of honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
* ¼ cup (56 grams) milk or water
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder – they are not the same!)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* ½ teaspoon of salt
* ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to stir on top
* 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour **
* Totally optional: ½ cup of mixture such as chopped walnuts or walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices …
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan.
2. Take a large bowl & In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl sit in a warm place for a few minutes, such as on the stove, or heat it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine. Lastly, switch to a large spoon and add the flour, just until just combined. Some lumps are fine! If you are adding additional plugins, gently fold them now.
4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. For a pretty swirling effect, run the tip of a knife through the dough in a zig-zag pattern.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (usually if I didn’t add any mixes my bread is done in 55 minutes; if I added mixes it needs closer to 60 minutes). Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes. You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread from the pan. Carefully transfer the bread to a cooling rack before slicing.
