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Looking straight on at a lot of bread with slices cut out. There's a blue kitchen towel and a bowl of walnuts behind it.
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This simple whole wheat banana bread is a healthier version of the traditional recipe but still yields a tender, sweet quick bread with a crispy crust. This loaf is made with walnuts, but feel free to make it with or without nuts.
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 230kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe bananas about 1 ⅓ cups, mashed
  • cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup coconut sugar (see noes)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour (see notes)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup walnuts toasted*

Instructions

  • Situate the rack in a lower position in the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray a standard 10x5 loaf pan with vegetable spray.
  • In a food processor, add the bananas, oil, sugar, vinegar, and water. Pulse until combined, leaving some banana chunks. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Chop the toasted walnuts and fold them into the flour mixture. Stir until the nuts are coated. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and cool before slicing and serving warm. Refrigerate any uneaten bread in an airtight container. Individual slices can be frozen by placing them on a tray and freezing, then transfer frozen pieces to a freezer bag. Stored correctly, they will keep up to 2 months in the freezer.

Notes

Toast walnuts by baking for 5 minutes at 300°F

Sugar

This is a minimally sweet recipe. You can add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar for a more traditionally sweetened banana bread. 

Flour

Use any of these flours:
  • Whole wheat flour
  • White whole wheat flour for a lighter loaf
  • Whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter loaf.

Quantity

  • Use 2 smaller loaf pans but be sure to reduce the baking time. These make great gifts to give out.
  • Make two full-sized loaves by doubling each ingredient as written (no adaptations necessary).

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg