Delicious Banana Bread Recipe
Banana bread is a favorite in our household. You can eat it for breakfast, as a snack or a dessert. It’s easy to take with you on the go or to sit and enjoy it with a cup of coffee or tea. You can have different varieties just by adding in a few extra treats. By swapping out some ingredients, it can easily become healthier and that much more enjoyable.
Check out this recipe for a delicious banana bread treat, detailed below.
What’s so great about banana bread isn’t just that it’s super simple to make. The ingredients involved in making it are great for your health as well. Here are a few benefits of some of the ingredients used in this recipe:
Bananas: this fruit is packed with nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium and folate. Because it’s rich in fiber, it can help with moderating blood sugar levels and improve digestion. The potassium and magnesium in bananas are both great for your heart health and blood pressure.
Cinnamon: this spice is loaded with antioxidants which protects your body from oxidative stress caused by free radicals. Those antioxidants can help with inflammation in your body and can help protect against heart disease.
Goji berries: these little berries are highly nutritious, packed with iron, fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C. They can help support your immune system and may even help enhance eye health.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cup mashed banana)
2 eggs, at room temperature (very important to be at room temp)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (do not use honey)
1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt (whole milk or 2% is best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled (you can also use olive oil or melted and cooled coconut oil)
Optional to use ½ cup any of the following for extra flavor: goji berries, blueberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, chopped pecans or shredded coconut
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan with parchment paper and grease the inside of the pan to prevent sticking.
In a large bowl mix together the mashed banana, eggs, maple syrup, greek yogurt and vanilla extract to a bowl until well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix!
Next, mix in the melted and cooled butter (or coconut oil). At this point you can fold in a ½ cup each of any of the following: chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, goji berries, cup blueberries, chopped pecans or shredded coconut.
Add banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once bread is cool, cut into 12 slices. Optional: serve with nut butter spread on top for a healthy snack or breakfast on the go.