The Simplest Banana Bread.
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A cold front came through the south this weekend, just when we thought for sure that spring was in full force down here. Oh Georgia, make up your mind! With the burst of cold, I woke up craving something warm and home-y. Since Stevie was gone playing guitar at church, I decided to spend a little time in the kitchen with Everett while Dax napped. Everett has been quite the little helper lately, and he loves standing on his special stool and helping me dump all the ingredients for simple recipes like cookies and breads, or 1-pan dinners. He was begging for this one the entire time it baked. Let me just say that 55 minutes of a toddler begging for banana bread feels, well, longer than 55 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 2 large bananas, browned, either mashed or sliced
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- Optional add-ins: dried cranberries, dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc.
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan (my absolute favorite here).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Add in the eggs and beat well, followed by the almond milk and finally, the mashed/sliced bananas.
3. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon - blend lightly.
4. Slowly add in the flour while your mixer is still running (if you have an upright mixer like this), otherwise, slowly add and whisk to combine.
5. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling and slice.
A few notes:
- I didn't add any mix-ins because I was craving a really simple bread, but I think this would be almost sinful tasting with the ghirardelli dark chocolate chips.
- I never used to think a wire rack for cooling was necessary, but after purchasing this one, I can't believe how evenly everything cools. It's definitely worth the investment! I love using this bad boy.
- I doubled this recipe and froze the other loaf for later this week when we have family in town. I double most recipes these days and save half for another meal later - its so helpful.
What are your favorite comfort recipes? Its my goal to clean up our recipes so they still taste great but consist of more healthful ingredients. Happy cold front to all of you, my East Coast friends!
