soft center ♡

soft, cozy banana bread made with whole wheat flour, lots of ripe banana, and just enough cinnamon. this is a recipe i make when i want to feel slightly healthier-ish but still want banana bread. my sister loooveeesss adding lots of chocolate, but feel free to swirl in any toppings you like!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread (makes 1 regular loaf or 8 mini loaves):

ingredients:

• ⅓ cup (75g) melted coconut oil or gooodddd extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup (110g) honey or maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1¼ cups (225g) mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
• ¼ cup (60ml) milk of choice
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (measure with your heart!)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp cinnamon (or however much you like)
• 1¾ cups (220g) whole wheat flour
• ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts, optional
• 1 banana, sliced lengthwise, optional for the top
• chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, optional to taste

instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
2. grease or line a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan or your mini loaf pans (for whimsy) with parchment paper
3. in a large bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil (or olive oil) and honey. add the eggs and whisk until smooth. mix in the mashed banana (it’s easier to mash with a fork on a cutting board), milk, and vanilla
4. add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until combined. add the whole wheat flour and gently fold until just combined. Try not to overmix (there should still be a few streaks of flour)!
5. fold in chocolate chips or walnuts if using.
6. pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. add the sliced banana on top and sprinkle with a little cinnamon if you want.
7. bake for around 50–60 minutes if you’re using a 9 x 5, or 20-25 minutes if you’re baking mini loaves. check that a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs
8. let it cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. I know it’s tempting but let it cool a little before slicing, but i promise the texture gets so much better

notes:

• bananas: the riper the better!! they should be really spotty, almost-too-ripe to maximize that sweet banana flavor
• sweetness: i reduced the sweetener because the extra banana adds quite a bit of natural sweetness. if your bananas aren’t super ripe or you like sweeter banana bread, increase the honey/maple syrup to ½ cup.
• oil: coconut oil gives it a subtle richness, but olive oil compliments the banana beautifully too
• chocolate: as i said, my sister loves to load up the bread with chocolate. you can sprinkle a few extra on top before baking. then of course top with flakey sea salt!
• don’t overmix: once the flour goes in, fold only until you can’t see dry streaks. overmixing whole wheat batter can make the loaf dense.
• storage: keep covered at room temperature for around 3-4 days or refrigerate for longer. i love cutting a slice and toasting with butter on a pan before eating it.

as always, i hope you love this recipe as much as i do!

love,

constance ❤