Healthy Banana Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups white, spelt, or oat flour (240g)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (360g)
1/2 cup yogurt or additional banana
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
1/3 cup oil or milk of choice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and optional cinnamon. If you’re a chocolate lover, you can also add optional mini chocolate chips.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – mashed ripe bananas, yogurt (or additional banana if you prefer), pure maple syrup (or honey or agave), oil (or milk of choice), and pure vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until they are well combined, forming a smooth batter.
Smooth the batter into the prepared loaf pan. For an extra touch, you can press some chocolate chips into the top of the batter.
Bake the banana bread on the center rack for about 40 minutes. After this time, do not open the oven door, but turn off the heat and let the bread sit in the closed oven for an additional 10 minutes. If the bread is still slightly undercooked at this point, you can cover the top with foil and turn the oven back on to continue baking. Check the bread every 5 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once fully baked, let the banana bread cool completely. For the best taste and texture, cover and refrigerate the bread overnight. It will become even sweeter and more delightful the next day (and even better the third day!). Leftovers can be sliced and frozen for up to a month, so you can enjoy this healthy treat whenever you like
