Banana bread had always been one of my favourite snacks. My mom used to bake it all the time when we were growing up, and it was always a big hit with my friends. I've been stockpiling overripe bananas in my freezer for a while now, and today we did a freezer clean-out and my husband commented, that I always say I will bake banana bread, but that I never actually do, so there seems to always be an abundance of overripe frozen bananas in our house. So I pulled a bunch of frozen bananas out of the freezer and decided today was the day. We're having a BBQ with friends on Sunday anyways, so I figure this is a perfect thing to bring and share!
So as I let the bananas thaw, I decided to look up the "healthy" recipe my mom used to make. I realized why it was SO delicious, a CUP of butter, a CUP of brown sugar (and a half cup of white sugar), and for treats she put milk chocolate in it. Now if you look at this, you might ask, what on earth makes this healthy? Its made with whole wheat flour and also has bran in it...well I suppose those are healthy ingredients, but my knowledge now tells me that no amount of bran will outweigh that much butter and sugar. So I decided to invent my own much healthier version of my mom's delicious banana bread. Here is what I came up with!
Ingredients
2 cups mashed banana (usually about 4-5 medium to large bananas - the riper the better!)
4 eggs
1/3 c butter milk (or buttermilk substitute - see below)
1/3 c butter or oil (I like sunflower oil)
1/2 c apple sauce
1/4 honey/agave nectar
1/2 c dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 c diced walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c bran
1/2 c oats
1/2 c multigrain bread flour
1 c white bread flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Directions:
1) In large bowl mix together all wet ingredients.
2) Sprinkle baking powder and baking soda over wet mixture evenly. Mix in.
3) Add remaining dry ingredients (except chocolate) and whisk rapidly to make sure everything is incorporated.
4) Set oven to 350F.
5) If you're using a baking pan, (bread pan, bundt pan etc) make sure you grease the pan, if you're making muffins, use cupcake liners (or grease the muffin tins). I use a basting brush and a little bit of olive or sunflower oil. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips.
6) Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins (pans) or 20-22 mins (muffins) or until the tops start turning golden brown.
Buttermilk Substitute:
1/2c skim milk
2 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Add juice/vinegar to milk.
Two Options
1) Microwave for 40 seconds. It will curdle and look awful, but the whole point is to make the milk thick and acidic
2) Let the milk sit for 1-2 hours until it starts to curdle and becomes room temperate.
So as I let the bananas thaw, I decided to look up the "healthy" recipe my mom used to make. I realized why it was SO delicious, a CUP of butter, a CUP of brown sugar (and a half cup of white sugar), and for treats she put milk chocolate in it. Now if you look at this, you might ask, what on earth makes this healthy? Its made with whole wheat flour and also has bran in it...well I suppose those are healthy ingredients, but my knowledge now tells me that no amount of bran will outweigh that much butter and sugar. So I decided to invent my own much healthier version of my mom's delicious banana bread. Here is what I came up with!
Ingredients
2 cups mashed banana (usually about 4-5 medium to large bananas - the riper the better!)
4 eggs
1/3 c butter milk (or buttermilk substitute - see below)
1/3 c butter or oil (I like sunflower oil)
1/2 c apple sauce
1/4 honey/agave nectar
1/2 c dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 c diced walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c bran
1/2 c oats
1/2 c multigrain bread flour
1 c white bread flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
Directions:
1) In large bowl mix together all wet ingredients.
2) Sprinkle baking powder and baking soda over wet mixture evenly. Mix in.
3) Add remaining dry ingredients (except chocolate) and whisk rapidly to make sure everything is incorporated.
4) Set oven to 350F.
5) If you're using a baking pan, (bread pan, bundt pan etc) make sure you grease the pan, if you're making muffins, use cupcake liners (or grease the muffin tins). I use a basting brush and a little bit of olive or sunflower oil. Sprinkle top with chocolate chips.
6) Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins (pans) or 20-22 mins (muffins) or until the tops start turning golden brown.
Buttermilk Substitute:
1/2c skim milk
2 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar
Add juice/vinegar to milk.
Two Options
1) Microwave for 40 seconds. It will curdle and look awful, but the whole point is to make the milk thick and acidic
2) Let the milk sit for 1-2 hours until it starts to curdle and becomes room temperate.
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