Need to brighten someone’s day? Make some banana bread for them! A full-grown man’s eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning when I stated, “I’m going to bake some banana bread,” just yesterday.
One of those traditional, all-American comfort food dishes that brings warmth to the entire house and improves everything is banana bread. The enchantment of banana bread.
I wanted to share the banana bread recipe I’ve created with you here for my cookbook. This recipe has all the characteristics of traditional banana bread—light it’s and moist, flavored with sweet bananas, and enjoyed by both children and adults.
Bonus? One dish, a few measuring cups, and some common ingredients are all that are needed for this recipe.
Why is this banana bread nutritious?
Unlike standard banana bread recipes, which call for refined flour and a lot of processed sugar, this recipe uses just whole wheat flour.
With honey or maple syrup, which provide certain trace nutrients that white sugar does not, this banana bread is naturally sweetened.
Last but not least, this recipe uses a reasonable quantity of unrefined oil instead of 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 a lot going for it, not the least of which is the fact that it won’t mess with your blood sugar levels. However, you can keep them all to yourself. Nobody will be able to tell that this banana bread is healthy!
Options for banana bread flour
This dish is adaptable! Any of the flours listed below will function nicely. I adore using white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour because they provide all the benefits of whole wheat without having the nutty flavor.
- universal flour
- blend of all-purpose flour devoid of gluten
- Avena flour
- grain flour
- Wheat flour, whole
- whole wheat flour for pastry
- Whole-wheat white flour
Advice: Measuring Flour
It’s crucial to accurately measure your flour for the finest results.
- The “spoon and swoop” method for measuring flour in cups is demonstrated as follows:
- To loosen your flour, gently whisk it with a large spoon.
- Do not scoop the flour; instead, plop it into your measuring cup.
- With a butter knife, trim the extra material away.
Various Banana Breads
This basic banana bread recipe has now been mastered, so feel free to make it your own by modifying it. Add some chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter. The same is true of chocolate chips. You might also include banana pieces, raisins, or chopped dry fruit.
Do you want muffins instead? For healthy banana muffins, use my recipe.
using a certain diet? You can make this bread vegan (i.e., free of dairy and eggs) or gluten free with a few small adjustments. For further information, see the recipe notes.
Also read: Healthy Breakfast Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) (75 grams) Melted coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, premium vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup (168 grams) of either honey or maple syrup (155 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (225 grams) (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about two large or two medium bananas)
- 14 cup (56 grams) of your preferred milk or water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; these are two very different things!)
- Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
- Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
- 12 teaspoon cinnamon powder, plus extra to sprinkle on top
- White whole wheat flour or ordinary whole wheat flour, 1 3/4 cups (220 grams) ** Completely optional: 12 cup of additions, such as chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, chopped walnuts or pecans, or fresh banana segments
INSTRUCTIONS
- Grease a 9-inch loaf pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius).
- Use a whisk to combine the oil and honey in a big bowl. After adding and thoroughly beating the eggs, whisk in the milk and mashed bananas. (If your coconut oil hardens when it comes in contact with cold ingredients, just lay the bowl on top of your stove for a few minutes to warm it up, or warm it in the microwave for approximately 10 seconds.)
- Mixing with a whisk, add the baking soda, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Finally, move to a large spoon and quickly incorporate the flour. Some lumps are okay. Gently fold in any more mix-ins now if you’re adding any.
- Once the loaf pan is oiled, pour the batter into it. Lightly dust with cinnamon. Run the point of a knife in a zigzag motion across the batter if you want a lovely swirling appearance.
- Typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have, it needs closer to 60 minutes. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. At least ten minutes should pass while the bread cools in the loaf pan. To remove the bread from the pan, you might need to run a butter knife along the edges. Before slicing, carefully move the loaf to a wire rack to cool.
NOTES
This bread will only last two to three days at room temperature due to its wet nature. It can be kept in the freezer for up to three months or the refrigerator for five to seven days. Before freezing, I like to slice the bread, then defrost each piece either by letting them sit at room temperature or by lightly toasting them.
I adore using coconut oil in this recipe. You hardly notice that I used unrefined coconut oil in the finished result. If you’re into that, the muffins’ use of olive oil might give them a herbal flavor (I tried it with California Olive Ranch’s “Everyday” kind and couldn’t even taste it). Although most vegetable/canola oils are heavily processed, vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, therefore if at all possible, I suggest choosing cold-pressed grapeseed or sunflower oils.
**FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: You can use an equivalent amount of all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix for the whole wheat flour. Alternatively, use 2 12 cups oat flour.
MAKE MUFFINS: This is my recipe for banana muffins.
TURN IT VEGAN Use maple syrup in place of the honey, flax eggs in place of the eggs, and water or nondairy milk (I used almond milk).
Make it dairy-free by using water or a non-dairy milk (I used almond milk).
REMOVE THE EGG: Use flax eggs in place of the eggs.
To make it gluten-free, substitute 2 12 cups of oat flour or an equal amount of the gluten-free blend from Bob’s Red Mill. Coconut flour should NOT be substituted.
I would contend that this bread includes a healthy level of fat, but if you’re on a low-fat diet, you may swap the oil for applesauce.
If you enjoy this recipe, you’ll also enjoy my healthy pumpkin bread and muffins, banana muffins, and banana cake with cream cheese frosting. Here are all of my recipes for bananas and baked foods.
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT: I have a Fiesta Loaf Pan in turquoise that I adore dearly (affiliate link).