Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This is something I make at least once a month. We are pretty good at eating up the bananas we buy every week, but once in a while there are 3 or 4 that get softer and softer and blacker and blacker. Past a certain point you just sort of ignore them on the counter, knowing that you have passed the point of no return.  Banana Bread time.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with a big slice
hacked off the end. Just can't resist.

Why not whole wheat for a change. If we're going to go all healthy and that, then might as well cut the sugar and oil from my usual recipe (1 cup oil and 1 cup sugar) significantly and replace it with honey, yogurt, and applesauce. Now to be fair, the original is pretty darn tasty. And I usually don't put the full cup of either sinful ingredient in anyway. I also throw in an egg, although that can probably be skipped - the yogurt should be enough to bind by itself.

I just love slicing off a two inch piece, slathering with butter, and chowing down. Yum-a-yum-a. If there is any left after a day or two, then it is good in the toaster as well.


Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• splash of canola or grape seed oil
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• few shakes of cinnamon (optional)
• freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Butter the bottom and sides of a 4"x8" loaf pan.
2. Do the old mix-master-mike on the bananas, honey, sugar, applesauce, egg, yogurt, and oil. The batter should be pretty moist, not dry at all. Add more applesauce / honey / yogurt until it looks right.
3. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg with a whisk to blend well. Gradually add the dry to the wet mixture until just blended, no more. Fold in the nuts by hand, and let the batter sit for a few minutes.
4. Pour batter into pan and pop it in. Set timer for around 55 to 60 minutes.
5. Let cool for 20 minutes, then pop onto wire rack.
6. Cut off a huge slice and slather with butter. Make happy Mmmmmm'ing noises.