Whole Grain Banana Bread

If you are like me, you always have bananas that have passed their prime.  Once they have brown spots, no one in my house will eat them anymore.  So this is the perfect recipe – it uses up all my over-ripe bananas and makes them into a delicious baked good that is healthy and my kids love.  This recipe uses a combination of coconut oil, applesauce, and banana to make it super-moist.  I usually double the recipe and make one loaf with walnuts for me and one with chocolate chips for my kiddos and husband.  Ripe bananas are so naturally sweet that I only add 1/4 cup of maple syrup and some mini chocolate chips and my kids think that they are eating dessert.  This freezes really well in individual slices for busy mornings. I never have to pester my kids to finish their breakfast when I serve this!

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First, in a small bowl, mix together 1-3/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1/4 tsp. baking soda and set aside.  If you aren’t gluten-free, you can make this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill’s Whole Wheat Pastry Flour.  It is my absolute favorite whole wheat flour.  It tastes just like white flour and makes delicious quick breads!  DO NOT try to use regular whole wheat flour.  Whole wheat pastry flour is very different and doesn’t have the mealy texture.  It tastes a lot less “whole grainy” but is just as healthy.  If you want to reduce your wheat consumption but you’re worried that your kids won’t like it, you may want to try 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup almond flour, and 1/2 cup brown rice flour. The three together make delicious cookies, cakes and breads and do not taste like whole grain or gluten-free.  I started like that with my kids and then slowly decreased the wheat flour over time and my kids never noticed.

In a medium sized, microwave safe bowl, heat 1/4 cup coconut oil for 30-45 seconds until melted.   Then add 2 eggs and scramble quickly before the coconut oil has a chance to harden.  Start slow so you don’t splash yourself with the coconut oil like I do EVERY TIME!  Then add 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup applesauce, and 1 tsp. lemon juice and mix well.  The lemon juice adds a really refreshing subtle taste to this recipe that I prefer to the usual cinnamon.  You can increase the lemon juice to 2 tsp. if you really like lemon like I do.

Mash the banana with a fork in a shallow bowl or on a plate and then measure 1 cup and add to the wet ingredients.  I like to mash mine up really well but I know many people like to leave chunks.  It’s really whatever you prefer.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.  Then add 1/2 cup walnuts and/or 1/4 cup chocolate chips and fold in.

Pour into a greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.  I love the results I get with my stoneware loaf pan on the bottom shelf of my gas oven but glass and metal pans will work well too.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.  If you have an electric oven with a heating element on the top, check it around 45 minutes and if the top is getting too brown, loosely cover with aluminum foil for the remainder of the time.

Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before cutting, if you can wait that long.  I usually can’t!  Serve with butter or coconut butter.

If you like this recipe, please let me know in the comments below.  Thanks for reading!

Here are a few links to some of the hard to find ingredients in this recipe:

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Whole Grain Banana Bread

This healthy version of a classic tastes so much like the original but with much less sugar, and no refined oils.

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

loaf

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups Gluten-free flour or whole wheat pastry flour or a combination
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings loaf Ingredients Dry ingredients 1 3/4 cups Gluten-free flour or whole wheat pastry flour or a combination 3/4 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda Wet Ingredients 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter melted 2 eggs 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 tsp lemon juice 1 cup mashed ripe banana 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Put coconut oil or butter in large microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds. Add eggs and scramble quickly before the coconut oil hardens. Add maple syrup, applesauce, lemon juice and banana.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Add walnuts and/or chocolate chips and fold in. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean 55-65 minutes. For muffins bake 20-25 minutes.

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