after making the “not your average nutella s’mores chocolate chip cookies” i needed something with fruit in it. i absolutely loved the cookies and you should try making them right now! they are that good :) but, it was time to change it up with a new recipe and also time {more like an excuse} to use my new loaf pan ;)

i had bananas in my fruit shelf and they were at the perfect stage for banana bread. ripe bananas with brown spots but not too many, and in overall good shape {see tip to ripen bananas below}. walnuts were also in my pantry so it was a sign for banana nut bread!

a trick my husband told me, yes, my husband {insert awww here} is to put the bananas right from the grocery store in a brown bag in the fridge for about 4 days and they will ripe perfectly. so let me know if you try it out! it worked for me. you can also leave the bag with the bananas at room temperature but check every day since they’ll ripen faster.

this banana nut bread recipe has healthy ingredients such as flaxseed, whole wheat flour and greek yogurt, as well as your regular butter and sugar. you can definitely make this gluten free or substitute the sugar with apple sauce. once the banana bread is done baking, you’ll see it has a crusty layer on the outside but it’s very moist, soft and dense on the inside. mmm!! like i like to say: business on the outside and party on the inside, hahaha.

one thing i should mention is that i had a small loaf pan and i had to bake an additional 6 standard size muffins because it was too much batter for my little pan. i will tell you the exact size within the recipe.

follow these directions and you’ll be able to enjoy this very banana-y bread for a snack or as a complement to your breakfast!! if you like bananas and bread, then you are winning with this recipe.

butter loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

sift flours and whisk all dry ingredients together.

mash your bananas!

cream butter with sugars until fluffy.

scrape bowl and mix on high for a little bit to combine all ingredients.

alternate flour mixture with yogurt and bananas.

fold in walnuts.

ready to go into the oven :)

time to cut through this banana nut bread and go bananas, haha. cheesy, i know.

healthy banana {nut} bread

ingredients:
5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed {optional}
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt, room temperature {sitting on the kitchen counter for 30 to 50 minutes approximately}
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped {optional}
8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan – i used this one {you can use a bigger pan – 9 x 5 inches – and you won’t have to make the muffins}

yields 1 small loaf and 6 standard size muffins.

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350F. butter a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan, add parchment paper and butter parchment as well. parchment paper should hang over the sides of the pan. set aside. butter muffin tin {only 6 muffin cups} or you can use paper liners. set aside.
2. in a bowl, sift flours, baking soda, baking powder, flaxseed and cinnamon. add salt and whisk well.
3. cream butter and sugars with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes at medium speed.
4. add eggs, one at a time and mixing well after each addition over medium speed. add vanilla and mix until incorporated. make sure to scrape the bowl {sides and bottom} and mix on high for 30 seconds to mix well. do not over mix batter.
5. set speed to the lowest setting. alternate a third of the flour mixture, with a third of the greek yogurt and a third of the mashed bananas. repeat until all ingredients are incorporated. do not over mix.
6. fold in walnuts with a rubber spatula gently.
7. fill 6 muffin cups 3/4 full. pour the rest of the batter into prepared loaf pan.
8. bake banana bread for 60 to 70 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out with a few crumbs. start checking at 60 minutes though. bake muffins for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
9. let muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 3 minutes. take out of the pan and cool completely on cooling rack. let banana bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. cool banana bread out of the pan for 30 minutes more on a cooling rack.
10. store banana bread and muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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