Whole Grain Banana Bread - Whole Grain Gourmet

What's this all about?

We love whole grains! We have found that we prefer their flavor. They are also far healthier than the refined foods which characterize the typical modern diet.

Switching to whole grains helps maintain a low glycemic diet. That means you will have more sustainable energy levels throughout the day, and probably fewer problems with weight control.

We created this website with one goal: to build an online community of like-minded people who either share our enthusiasm about whole grains or just want to learn more about them.

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Whole Grain Banana Bread

Written by Whole Grain Gourmet

Tuesday, 04 March 2008 19:00

whole grain banana bread

The road to Hana, Maui, is a wondrous journey. The 52 mile road is remembered by most for its more than 50 single lane bridges, over 600 curves, lush tropical rainforest, countless waterfalls, and excellent banana bread. The banana bread is sold at farm stands that line the roadside. I've heard some recall the Hana banana bread as the highlight of their trip -- an amazing claim considering that this is perhaps the most beautiful stretch of coastline that many will ever see.

Our visit to Hana inspired us in many ways, not the least of which was the inspiration to create our own masterpiece banana bread, baked with whole grain flour. Months of trial and error finally led us to what we believe is the ultimate banana bread. This recipe is so moist and delicious that you will, for a moment, forget that it is made with whole grain wheat and relatively low in sugar and butter. The dark chocolate chips just take it over the top.

This is undoubtedly the best banana bread I have ever tasted. If you ever find a better recipe, I would love to hear of it. The texture, moistness, and flavor are exceptional. Don't take our word for it, bake some today and find out for yourself.

Whole Grain Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed natural brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed over-ripe bananas
1 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, preferrably 60% cocoa

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Lighly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter.
Combine flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
In another large bowl, combine butter, honey, and sugar and beat for two minutes. Add the eggs and lightly beat until just combined. Mix in bananas and vanilla -- do not overmix. Gradually beat in the flour mixture in thirds.
Dilute baking soda in ¼ cup hot (not boiling) water, then beat into batter.
Stir in, by hand, the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 for 52 minutes. (test for doneness being careful not to overbake as it may dry out the bread)
Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool. If you plan to serve this to guests and want clean slices, then allow it to cool for 30 minutes. If you want to enjoy some melt-in-your-mouth, out-of-this-world, warm banana bread, then dig in after 5 minutes.

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Comments (24)

People here are very particular about their banana bread and i've gotten a lot of positive feedback from your recipe. mostly, the loaf is magically disappearing at rapid speed!

I bought white whole wheat flour on your recommendation and have so far used it for cookies with great results. I think this'll be next.

Hi Elle!

I'm glad the white whole wheat flour is working for you. I know you will enjoy this bread. Be prepared to make a second loaf as the first will vanish before you know it.

I made this (into mini muffins) without the nuts or chocolate chips so my little boys could have them. Wow, these turned out great!! I've been having such a hard time finding a banana bread recipe that didn't have less than a cup of sugar in it. This is definitely going to be added to my "favorites" for repeats. Thanks.

This sounds wonderful. I have really been needing to incorporate more whole wheat into my diet, so I'm glad I've found your website!

Hi Maureen! I'm glad your boys enjoyed it. Treat yourself to the version with the nuts and dark chocolate chips some time. It's so good!

Hi Deborah! I'm glad you found us too! Please let us know how it turns out for you.

Aloha,
Just made your recipe for banana bread and as mentioned, it is the best ever. Thank you for sharing, this is a keeper. I like the fact that there is much less fat (the recipe I previously used had 1 c canola oil and 1 c white sugar).
Mahalo from Maui!

Aloha, Kiyo! Mahalo nui loa for the feedback. Enjoy!

I tried this recipe and it was DELICIOUS! Seriously one of the best I have tried, I was so taken by it I couldn't resist blogging about it - I sincerely hope you don't mind. Again fantastic recipe, kudos! I hope my attempt did them justice!

I'm glad you liked it Emma. Thanks for the feedback. It would be great if you provided a link to your inspiration. :-)

I have tried to make my mom's banana bread, with varying successes over the years, but none like this!! It's awesome! I've made it three times in the past week and given it to everyone... I know the recipe by heart now! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

I wanted to add that I replaced the honey with Grade B Amber maple syrup, and used oat bran flour, and it turned out just great each time!

Hi JaNeen! Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying the banana bread. It's one of our favorites too.

Nice recipe! I don't normally like banana breads but I am coming around. It's cool that you use 100% whole wheat flour in it too.

The picture made me think that you added strawberries in the bread, but the recipe doesn't say so. Do you think strawberries would make a good addition?

Hi Nate - There are no strawberries in the bread. We served the bread with strawberries on the side that day and I thought it made a nice photo.

Do you think this recipe would still work by substituting canned pumpkin instead of bananas? I would love to try a whole wheat pumpkin bread recipe as good as this one.

Hi Marcie. That is a fantastic idea! I wish I had thought of it. I'm sure it will be delicious. Please let me know how it turns out for you. I may just try it myself this week and feature it on the site if all goes well. Thanks!

By far the best banana bread I've had..

Thanks!

What are your thoughts on substituting some canola oil or applesauce for some of the butter? I like that the recipe is pretty guilt-free, but do you think cutting out some of the butter would work well too? Also, why do you put the soda in hot water?

Hi Desiree! You could try the substitution, but it will likely change the texture. You might try 1/4 cup of butter instead of 1/3. Please let us know how that works for you.

As for the hot water, heat and water are two of the catalysts that begin the release of CO2. It kick starts the rising.

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