Who doesn’t love banana bread? It is also a great way to use up some of those over ripened bananas in your freezer. Sometimes, however, banana bread can come out dry and bland. So, I thought I would share my healthier banana bread recipe that is guaranteed to also be moist!
There are a few tricks to making the ultimate moist banana bread. Using olive oil helps keep it moist, as does using LOTS of bananas– I used four, which also helps sweeten the bread naturally. This means that there isn’t a lot of sugar in the recipe, but it’s still decadently sweet.
This banana bread recipe also uses both whole wheat AND white flour, which helps take the nutrition up a notch but maintains a light and fluffy texture.
Olive oil vs. butter
Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats out there, and baking with it is big with Mediterranean food. Health benefits aside, it is better in some things than butter in a lot of circumstances.
Using oil to bake keeps things much more moist than using butter. And best of all, it STAYS moist for days later, whereas baked goods with butter have a tendency to dry out faster.
I also love that you don’t have to soften it or melt it from it’s solid state- just pour the olive oil into the bowl and you’re good to go!
Another great reason is that since the banana bread batter gets poured into a greased loaf pan, it makes removing the banana bread a breeze. Just flip the pan upside down (after it cools a bit) and it should just pop right out cleanly!
That said, butter is also delicious. Feel free to use it, or another oil (such as coconut or vegetable) in this recipe. I also highly recommend serving the final product warm, slathered with either salted butter, a warm fruit compote or caramel sauce. So delish!
Using frozen bananas for baking
I like to freeze my bananas, whole, inside the peel (I’m sure I am not the only one). Then, when I’m ready to bake, I pop them in the microwave, cut off the tops, and slide the banana right out of the peel!
When it’s frozen, it is already mushy, so you don’t need to worry about mashing the banana separately. Just put it right into your bowl and mix away!
Loaf Pans
I recommend using a glass or ceramic loaf pan to make banana bread. You can use metal but the edges of the bread tend to come out dry and burnt-tasting.
The reason for this is the darker the pan, the hotter it gets in the oven. And if it’s too hot, it will overcook the edges of the banana bread before the inside has had a chance to cook completely.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 3-4 bananas mashed, about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use some of the olive oil to generously grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan. You can also put some parchment paper in the bottom of your pan.
- In a large bowl, mix the remaining olive oil with the brown sugar.
- Add the eggs and mix for about 1 minute.
- Add the bananas and mix together.
- Stir in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the whole wheat flour and the all-purpose flour until just incorporated and no dry spots remain.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes. It should pop right out if you flip the pan upside-down, but if you need to give it a boost you can run a knife along the sides before flipping it over.
- Cut the banana bread into 10 slices. I recommend serving it warm with salted butter on top.
I hope you enjoy the recipe!!
