Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Fork or potato masher
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 9x5-inch loaf pan
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Measuring cups set
- 1 Measuring spoons set
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas very ripe mashed
- 80 gram brown sugar packed
- 50 gram granulated sugar
- 80 milliliter vegetable oil neutral
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 milliliter vanilla extract
- 190 gram whole wheat flour
- 3 gram baking soda
- 3 gram baking powder
- 3 gram ground cinnamon
- 2 gram fine sea salt
- 60 milliliter plain yogurt or buttermilk room temperature
- 60 gram chopped walnuts optional toasted
- 60 gram dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and lightly grease or line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with small lumps remaining.
- Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas and whisk until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
- Add half of the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
- Stir in the yogurt or buttermilk until incorporated, then fold in the remaining dry ingredients until no dry streaks remain.
- Gently fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips, if using, without overmixing the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
- Transfer the loaf to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 10 more minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
For best results, use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots, as they add both sweetness and moisture to the bread; avoid overmixing after adding the flour to keep the crumb tender, and start checking for doneness a few minutes early since ovens vary. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the loaf loosely with foil during the last 10–15 minutes of baking. Toasting the nuts beforehand deepens their flavor, and you can adjust sweetness by reducing sugar slightly if your bananas are very sweet. This bread slices more cleanly and tastes even better after it has fully cooled, and it keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days or can be frozen in slices for quick breakfasts.
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