This moist and healthy banana bread recipe is made with creamy yogurt, crunchy walnuts, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Like most moms of littles, I always have bananas on hand for smoothies, oatmeal, snacking, and more. As such, inevitably we usually end up with leftover ripe bananas just begging to be turned into loaves of bread, muffins, waffles or bars.
Whenever I bake from scratch, I like to find ways to boost the overall nutrition of the baked good. Whether it’s a blueberry yogurt bread, strawberry oatmeal muffins or chocolate chip zucchini bread, I love finding ways to make baked goods more nutritious. As such, I’m going to share a few simple steps I take to create a healthy banana bread recipe that is still perfectly moist and delicious.
To start, I love using overly ripe bananas which are naturally super sweet. This eliminates the need for more added sugar than you really need. Another tip is to swap out traditional all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour. You can purchase it in most large grocery stores or online.
Frequently asked questions:
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour is 100% stone ground from the finest soft white wheat. Additionally, it has a lower protein content than regular whole wheat flour and it makes wonderfully tender wholegrain baked goods like pie crust, muffins, quick breads, pastries and cookies, yet it still retains the nutrients of the bran and germ.
Baking with yogurt adds a creaminess that helps keep baked goods moist. The tanginess creates a crave-worthy, old-fashioned flavor. Additionally, the acidity in yogurt helps activate baking soda, which can make baked goods fluffy and light. It can step in for sour cream, mayonnaise, or crème fraîche, creating the same tangy mouth-feel with less guilt.
Absolutely – just swap out with canola oil or melted coconut oil.
You can store banana bread wrapped in plastic wrap and keep air-tight in a plastic bag in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To serve, I love topping it with a little creamy peanut butter but it’s honestly so delicious on its own you won’t need it!
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Whole Wheat Healthy Banana Bread?
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch bread pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer over medium-high speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce stand mixer speed to low and slowly add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla, mashed bananas, and yogurt. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides and increase speed to medium until ingredients are blended.
- With the mixer still running, slowly add the dry ingredients until they are all added. Scrape down the sides one last time ensuring that the wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Remove bowl from the stand mixer and stir in the walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for one hour or until toothpick comes out smooth. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
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