Health-ified Banana Bread

kaileylindseyfit@gmail.com (KaileyLindseyFit ) — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 16:42:45 GMT

I'm convinced banana bread is magic. I've never seen a single baked good able to light up anyone's eyes quite like a fresh loaf of banana bread (adults and kids alike). It's one of those classic, all-American comfort foods that floods the whole house with warmth.

My take on banana bread utilizes ingredients you likely have sitting in your pantry already. It's delicate, moist, flavorful, and just the right amount of comfort you'd expect from a banana loaf.

What makes it healthy?

Unlike traditional recipes that call for refined flours, excessive amounts of butter, and processed sugars, my recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour, unrefined oils, and sweetened with honey or maple syrup .

INGREDIENTS:

⅓ cup (75 grams) melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup 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 of choice or water

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top

1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

Totally optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)

3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.

4. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (typically, if I haven’t added any mix-ins, my bread is done at 55 minutes; if I have added mix-ins, 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 loaf to a wire rack to cool before slicing.

KaileyLindsey Fit

Health-ified Banana Bread

I'm convinced banana bread is magic. I've never seen a single baked good able to light up anyone's eyes quite like a fresh loaf of banana bread (adults and kids alike). It's one of those classic, all-American comfort foods that floods the whole house with warmth.

My take on banana bread utilizes ingredients you likely have sitting in your pantry already. It's delicate, moist, flavorful, and just the right amount of comfort you'd expect from a banana loaf.

What makes it healthy?

Unlike traditional recipes that call for refined flours, excessive amounts of butter, and processed sugars, my recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour, unrefined oils, and sweetened with honey or maple syrup .