Easy and Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

 

 

This banana bread recipe has bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S, and only 5 ingredients total.  The motto in our household growing up is, “a banana a day keeps the doctor away”.  I would eat it plain, in cereal, dried, as chips, with oatmeal, turned into fritters, or rolled into a spring wrapper, dusted with brown sugar, then pan-fried (called Turon).  My mom was not much of a baker, and I remembered one of the things that we always loved buying from the grocery store was banana bread.

 

A “baker” is born

Fast forward 32 years, not much has really changed and my love for banana bread is still strong.  Like my mom, I was not much of a baker at first.  In fact, most of the women in our family aren’t really bakers.  Actually, my uncle is the family baker.  He would bake all of the cakes during birthday parties and any special occasion.  He rarely buys bread from the store, rather he makes everything from scratch.  Every Sunday, the smell of fresh bread baking filled his house and it was amazing.  Moreover, my uncle Joey is the kindest, nicest, and the calmest person I know.  He’s got zen all around him and I attributed his chill vibes to his love for baking.

Chill vibes you say?  Who wouldn’t want to be more chill in life?  Thus, my baking career began.  Naturally, one of the first recipes I wanted to make was banana bread.  I’ve gone through many different recipes, but this quick, simple, and healthy banana bread recipe is by far one of my favorites.

 

Only 5-Ingredients Banana Bread

All you need are:

1. bananas
2. rolled oats
3. eggs
4. cassava syrup
5. baking soda 

 

For the bananas, I would really recommend using really ripe bananas.  The riper the bananas, the better and sweeter your banana bread will turn out.  You can actually smell the “sweetness” as it ripens.  Normally, I would set aside 2-3 bananas from the bunch and let them sit for about 3-5 days.  Keep in mind organic bananas will normally ripen a lot faster.

 

You literally throw everything in the blender and you’re halfway there.

 

Cassava Syrup – alternative sweetener

There are a number of different types of sweeteners that you could use for this recipe.  I always love the flavor of maple syrup or honey in this.  You can definitely substitute these instead if you prefer or if you already have them handy in your pantry.  I chose cassava syrup for its neutral flavor, in turn highlighting the bananas and oats.

Cassava syrup is made from the root of the cassava plant.  I bought mine from 365 by Whole Foods, or you can also get it online through Amazon.  Some awesome things about cassava syrup:

• fructose-free
• vegan option
• gluten-free
• fewer sugars – a healthier alternative to processed sugars and artificial sweeteners

 

Bake Time – walk away and just wait

I used two mini-loaf pans and it took about 30-35 minutes for it to fully cook.  Each oven and each loaf pan is going to be different so I would check it at the 25-30 minute mark just to make sure.  Use a toothpick or a fork to check if it’s done.  If the toothpick comes out nice and clean, the banana bread should be ready.

 

I like eating it by itself, but you can definitely jazz it up by adding any nut butter on top.  It pairs perfectly well with a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or for a snack.  For your leftovers, keep it in an airtight container.  I would recommend warming up your leftover banana bread and adding a dab of butter to take it to the next level.

 

Nutritional Info

You can get about 5 slices for each loaf, 10 total from this recipe.

Per serving/slice: 110 calories, 21g of carbohydrates, 2g of fat, 142mg of sodium, 3g of protein, and 7g of sugars

 

More recipes from LouweezyAnne? Check them out here.