Are there ever enough banana bread recipes out there? I have been experimenting with a lot of different ones, including my favorite sugar-free banana bread. This time I was looking for a recipe that doesn’t require any fancy ingredients but is still on the healthier side. So I found this whole-grain banana bread in one of my cookbooks from King Arthur Flour. Baking with whole-grain flower is one of my favorite healthy baking swaps. Not only because it adds much more nutrients, but also because it provides a nutty flavor to the cake or bread. Therefore, this whole-grain banana is one of my new favorites!
I made some adjustments, primarily reducing the sugar amount, which is usually the first thing I do with any recipe. And it’s one of the baking hacks my mum taught me when I first started baking. She would always ask me to reduce the sugar amount by at least a quarter. It’s such a simple adjustment to make your treats just a little bit healthier. And it’s incredible how your taste buds adjust to a low-sugar diet. That way, I can satisfy my sweet tooth while keeping my sugar consumption to a minimum.
Although you might feel like you don’t need another banana bread recipe, I highly recommend baking this whole-grain banana bread. I love to eat it for breakfast, as a dessert or as an afternoon snack.
Banana Bread freezes very well. Whenever I make this whole-grain banana bread, I slice it and put it in the freezer for future banana bread cravings.
Another great recipe to try is this zucchini bread. Have you ever baked with zucchini before? It adds excellent moisture and some extra nutrients to the cake.
Have fun baking!
Love, Marion
Whole-grain Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 115g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 450g (2 cups) mashed ripe bananas
- 80-100g (~1/3 cup) honey
- 2 large organic eggs
- 225g (2 cups) whole-grain flour, I used spelt flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 60g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and lightly grease a loaf pan (9×5 inches, 23×13 cm).
- Step 2 In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of your standing mixer, beat the butter until smooth.
- Step 3 Add the vanilla extract, banana, honey, and eggs, and beat until well incorporated.
- Step 4 In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Step 5 Add the flour and the walnuts to the banana mixture and fold in gently with a spatula.
- Step 6 Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Then cover the top with a piece of foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Step 7 Remove the bread from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan, and transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
