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Healthy Banana Bread

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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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:

What is whole wheat pastry flour?

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.

What is the benefit of baking with yogurt?

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.

Can I make this healthy banana bread without yogurt?

Absolutely – just swap out with canola oil or melted coconut oil.

How long will banana bread last in the freezer?

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

4.07 stars average
Liz Della Croce
This moist and healthy banana bread recipe is made with creamy yogurt, crunchy walnuts, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK: 1 hour
TOTAL: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Servings14

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • ½ cup flaxseed meal
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons room temperature butter (unsalted)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
  • cup plain low fat yogurt
  • ½ cup walnuts (chopped)

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.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.3g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.5g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 167mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 14.9g

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4.07 from 15 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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47 responses to “Healthy Banana Bread”

  1. Jayne Woodcock Avatar
    Jayne Woodcock

    Hi Liz, i made your bread last night and its lovely but a little dark in appearance. I didn’t have any flaxmeal, only ground flaxseed (which is quite dark) so i used that. I also didn’t have any yogurt so i used kefir, which as i understand is the acid required to react with the bicarb soda?
    Flaxmeal has no oils in it (and therefore less nutrients) so just wondered is there a reason for using flaxmeal and not ground flaxseed?
    Thanks in advance, Jayne

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      You can use either one interchangeably, so I’m glad you still enjoyed the bread! I find that flaxseed meal is usually easier to find at local grocery stores which is why I use it for this recipe. And it’s still a great source of omega-3s, which is why I use it in so many things!

  2. Corry Oosterhouse Avatar
    Corry Oosterhouse

    Liz, love the picture of your Asher!! He’s sure grown a lot since then!???????? I love this healthier version of banana bread!! Could you tell me where I can get WW pastry flour in the GR, Grandville area? Meijer’s doesn’t have it! And how is the move into your new house going??

  3. Austin Avatar
    Austin

    Hi! I’m making banana bread tomorrow and this’ll be the first time I’ll be making a whole wheat version of it. My problem tho, is that there is no available WW pastry flour here in my area. I read that doing a half-and-half is a good substitute (1 cup APF, 1 cup WWF), is that okay?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yes that’s a perfect substitute!!! Let me know how it turns out!

  4. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    How can I add this to my recipe box? Having a hard time being able to add recipes to my box. HELP!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Do you see the Save button? That’s all it should take! Does it not work?

  5. Nutmeg Nanny Avatar
    Nutmeg Nanny

    Oh goodness, that photo of your boy is too funny! This looks delicious!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      haha Thank you friend!!