Healthy and Moist Banana Bread with Walnuts

Who does not love a loaf of moist and flavorful banana bread? I personally am I a big fan of banana bread, not only because it’s a magical way to turn those ripe bananas into a delicious treat but also because it’s so easy to make and it makes everyone happy! This healthy version of the banana bread with walnuts tastes even better than the other version where I use sugar.

The key to a delicious banana bread loaf is ripe bananas the more dark spots the skin has the better. Ripe bananas are important for both the flavor and the texture. When they are ripe they make the banana bread moister and the flavorful much stronger. In this version, honey is used instead of sugar, which also makes the banana bread loaf more flavorful and gives it more moisture. Also, the recipe contains olive oil that adds an amazing note that perfectly complements the walnuts. which are actually optional in the recipe, but I highly recommend using them.

Preparations

Before starting to make the banana bread loaf, prepare the baking tin. I like to line the tin with parchment paper, by overlaying two pieces to make sure it covers all sides (check the video below). You can as well butter the tin and bake the banana bread directly in it. It is also better if the eggs are at room temperature so think of taking them out of the fridge at least one hour before. Now it’s time to set the oven and preheat it, preheat it to 160C (320F).

Baking time.

For this recipe you don’t need an electric hand mixer, a fork and a whisk are enough. Start by slightly beating the eggs with all the wet ingredients. The recipe calls for greek yogurt, you can use sour cream or cream fraiche instead, but I still prefer greek yogurt so that would be the first choice. Sometimes when I use vanilla seeds, I add the beans to a jar of sugar and keep it closed for some days and I have very delicious vanilla sugar, this is what I used in this recipe, but to keep it as healthy as it could be, you can use vanilla extract instead. Add the honey, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Slightly beat everything together to combine.

Add the ripe bananas

The secret to moist and delicious banana bread is ripe bananas, so avoid using pale bananas that are usually also hard to mush. Add the bananas to the first mixture and mush then use just a fork or the tool you use to mash the potatoes.

Add the dry ingredients.

Sift the dry ingredients directly into the batter. In addition to the all-purpose flour and the baking soda, I like to add cinnamon because it and banana is a classic love story. The cinnamon enhances the flavor but you don’t taste it much in the loaf, if you are not a fan of cinnamon, simply omit it from the recipe.

Finally, add the walnuts, obviously, you can use any kind of nut you prefer or you have available, I do recommend walnuts because it perfectly harmonizes with all the flavors in the banana bread but you can use almonds, pecans, peanuts, or no nuts at all.

Baking time.

Pour the batter into the baking tin you have prepared. I like to sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and chocolate chips on the top of the banana bread because of the obvious reason, it is so delicious. You can as well, in case you have another ripe banana lying around, slice it length-way and add it to the top of the batter and slightly press it into the batter, so that it is still visible when the loaf bakes.

Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for about 55 to 60 min. After 55 min you can use a toothpick or a knife to check if the center is dry. When the banana bread is ready and you open the oven, the whole kitchen smells so delicious and I love it! Let the banana bread rest for some time on a cooling rack before you slice it.

Enjoy!

This healthy banana bread loaf is the moistest you will ever have, I can confidently promise that! If you try out this recipe, please let me know how you like it. I will also leave down to other banana bread recipes for those who, like me, like to keep experimenting with recipes.