Banana Walnut Bread
By Suzy Karadsheh
Category
Breakfast
Cuisine
American
Servings
9
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Total Time
1 Hour 10 Minutes
This healthy banana bread swaps refined sugar and butter for flavorful honey and extra virgin olive oil. Plus, it’s even better the next day. Make this easy banana bread for a nutritious breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
-
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
-
1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup low fat milk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (if you’re not sure you’ll like it, start with the smaller amount)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped dates)
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Get ready. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly oil a non-stick 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
Begin combining the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil and honey. Add the eggs and whisk again to combine.
Season. Now add the bananas, yogurt, milk, baking soda, vanilla extract, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk again.
Add the flour, dates, and walnuts. Using a spatula, fold in the flour until just combined; then add the dates and walnuts and gently stir the batter once more.
Bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and shake very gently so it evens out. Bake on the center rack until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Cool. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes or so. Slice and enjoy!
Recipe Note
- Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can or you may risk a rancid or bitter-tasting loaf. I used our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil here; it adds great depth and keeps the loaf tasty and moist.
- To store: Properly-stored, fresh banana bread will keep for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge. Allow to cool completely, then wrap the banana bread in plastic wrap, then store it in an air-tight container to keep it moist. And because I use olive oil in this banana bread recipe, it is even more rich and moist the next day! I often make an extra loaf or two to freeze for later use.
- To freeze: Let your freshly-baked banana bread cool completely, then wrap it with freezer plastic wrap or heavy-duty freezer bags. Properly stored, it will keep well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories 290, Fat 12.1 grams, Monounsaturated Fat 6600 milligrams, Sodium 142.8 milligrams, Sugar 27 grams, Calcium 42.1 milligrams, Carbs 43.2 grams, Saturated Fat 1.8 grams, Trans Fat 0.003 grams, Potassium 197.2 milligrams, Vitamin A 2.3 milligrams, Iron 1.5 milligrams, Protein 4.6 grams, Polyunsaturated Fat 3200 milligrams, Cholesterol 37 milligrams, Fiber 2 grams, Vitamin C 0.2 milligrams