Ostro’s Healthy Banana Bread
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PREP TIME 10
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COOK TIME 55 mins
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TOTAL TIME 1h 5min
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YIELDS 8-10 Slices
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) melted Ostro Organics Coconut Oil or fresh Ostro Organics Poppy Seed Oil
- 1 ¾ cups (220 grams) white whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (And some more to swirl on top)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. baking soda (NOT baking powder!)
- ¼ cup (56 grams) almond milk or alternative milk or soda water
- 1 c (225 grams) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup honey (168 grams) or maple syrup (155 grams)
- Optional: ½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slices…
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the Coconut Oil OR Poppy Seed 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. On top of your stove or warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave.)
- Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and blend together. Lastly, switch to a big spoon and stir in the flour until combined. Some lumps are OK! If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them into the mixture now.
- 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.
- 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.
Description
Why You Must Try This Recipe!
With this healthy banana bread recipe, you’re only a few simple ingredients away from the best banana bread ever! It’s made with fresh Ostro Organics Oil and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. You can easily make this banana bread dairy-free, gluten free or vegan. Also this recipe yields 1 loaf which makes about ten slices, around six slices if Manfred is in charge of cutting the slices.
Variations That Are Simple Yet Delicious
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of Bob’s Red Mill’s gluten-free blend or 2 ½ cups certified gluten-free oat flour. Do NOT substitute with coconut flour. Unless you adjust the liquids in the recipe!
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey, replace the eggs with flax eggs and choose non-dairy milk (Joanne always uses almond milk) or use soda water.
Make it dairy free: Choose non-dairy milk (Joanne always uses almond milk) or soda water.
Flour alternatives: In place of wheat flour, you can use an equal amount of all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Or, substitute 2 ½ cups oat flour.
More Oil Options: I love Ostro Organics Coconut Oil here. Poppy Seed Oil adds a nutty note which works very well with the banana flavor.
I recommend using cold-pressed hazelnut oil, sunflower oil or walnut oil if possible. Switch it up and see what oil works best for you!
Storage: This bread is moist, so it will keep for just two or three days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for five to seven days, or in the freezer for up to three months. Joanne usually slices the bread before freezing and defrosts individual slices.
