Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Moist whole wheat banana bread – customized to taste with chocolate chips or walnuts – it a healthy(ish) breakfast or snack for busy days. Best part? It’s kid-approved.

Moist whole wheat banana bread - customized to taste with chocolate chips or walnuts - it a healthy(ish) breakfast or snack for busy days.

Two months full of travel and houseguests has finally come to an end. Last week was the last trip on my calendar for a while, and I’m thrilled with having some downtime. I got a surprise day off last week due to some pretty horrendous winds and managed to knock out most of the laundry that had piled up. And I got to spend some special “craft time” with my daughter (who is soooo much like me!). The winds died down enough over the weekend for me to get in a nice long walk, some time with friends, and quite a bit of time in the kitchen. I even managed to steal a few hours to work on a scrapbook. I can’t remember when I managed to fit so much into a weekend!

Moist whole wheat banana bread - customized to taste with chocolate chips or walnuts - it a healthy(ish) breakfast or snack for busy days. Best part? It's kid-approved.

This recipe is what I call a Mom Win. It’s relatively healthy, as it’s made with whole wheat flour, bananas, and apple sauce (to reduce the amount of butter in the recipe). AND BOTH MY KIDS ATE IT!!! Miss. Hazelnut – the world’s pickiest eater who is known for gagging when a banana comes within an inch of her mouth – actually liked it! I was shocked! Who am I kidding? I am STILL in shock.

I’ve made this bread several times before. My personal favorite is adding in coarsely chopped walnuts, because I love the contrasting texture it brings to a soft, moist bread. Not to mention the extra protein and fiber. Unfortunately, walnuts aren’t daycare-friendly. Instead, I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I knew the kiddos would love.

So if you’re looking to make a healthy snack or breakfast for your or your family, may I suggest this banana bread?

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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Moist whole wheat banana bread – customized to taste with chocolate chips or walnuts – it a healthy(ish) breakfast or snack for busy days. Best part? It’s kid-approved.

Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cool 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10 Servings
Author Liz

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/4 c. unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1 c. granulated sugar
  • 2 ripe bananas mashed (about 1 c. mashed banana)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 c. whole wheat all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips or walnuts optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter, apple sauce and sugar until combined. Add mashed banana and beat in. Repeat with eggs and vanilla extract. Finally, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips or nuts, if using.
  3. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  4. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in plan before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool complete.
  5. Store, covered in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

Makes 1 loaf of banana bread, about 10 slices. 

This recipe was adapted from Whole Wheat Banana-Nut Bread in Williams-Sonoma Cooking At Home (p. 434).

Whole Wheat Banana Bread on Books n' Cooks - Moist whole wheat banana bread - customized to taste with chocolate chips or walnuts - it a healthy(ish) breakfast or snack for busy days. Best part? It's kid-approved.

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