There are few things better than banana bread baking away in your oven filling the whole house with cinnamon and spice and everything nice. It’s getting a bit nippy in the mornings and the promise of a few warm slices slathered with jam makes it a little easier to roll out of bed.
The walnuts in this recipe are optional, but the chocolate chips are a MUST.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
4 tablespoons applesauce
½ cup brown sugar
3 (very) ripe bananas, mashed
3 tablespoons molasses
1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups whole-wheat pastry or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cardamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a loaf tin with olive oil.
In a large bowl whisk together oil, applesauce, sugar, bananas and extracts until emulsified.
In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Add the dry to the wet and mix with a wooden spoon just to combine. It’s important not to overmix. Overmixing causes a gummy result, and nobody wants that.
Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using.
Transfer to loaf tin. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf passes the toothpick test.
Store wrapped in cling film or under a cake dome for up to a week, though I guarantee it’s not going to last that long!
Image © Yvonne Penzakov for BitchBuzz.com