Old Fashioned Banana Bread

There are lots of fancy modern banana breads out there. I'm sure they are all delicious but sometimes you just want something that reminds you of an afternoon spent in the kitchen with your Mom or Grandma or maybe those special care packages your family would send you when you went off to college. I'm guessing they weren't the fancy banana breads but just plain, basic stuff with the occasional chocolate chip thrown in. If you are yearning for a slice of THAT banana bread, try this. It's delicious, simple and will take you back to the excitement of opening those care packages or your Grandma's kitchen.

I can never wait for it to cool! So good with butter!

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose flour (preferably unbleached)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cups mashed overripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

1. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a very large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, sour cream, sugar, butter, vanilla and bananas.
5. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until JUST combined.
6. Place half (4 cups) in each loaf pan.
7. Bake for 65 to 70 minutes until nicely brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Banana Muffins with Avocado

This is a simple way to make use of overripe bananas and avocados. Feel free to add chocolate chips (1/2-1 cup) for even more chocolate flavor. If chocolate isn't your thing, you can also omit the cocoa and add an additional 1/4 cup of flour (I'd also add 1 tsp cinnamon).

Ingredients

3/4 c overripe banana (2 medium)
1/4 c very ripe avocado (1/2 small)
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt
3-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 - 3/4 c flour
1/4 c cocoa

12 banana chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Spray 12 muffins tins with nonstick spray.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if using nonstick or dark colored pan reduce heat to 375 degrees.)
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
4. Stir in banana and avocado.
5. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
6. Add flour mixture to liquid ingredients. Stir very gently until just combined.
7. Place approximately 1/4 cup of batter into each tin.
8. If using, place one banana chip on each muffin.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
10. Cool five minutes and remove from tins onto cooling rack.

Oh the Irony Smoothie

My 8 year old has low iron so in addition to iron supplements, we've been trying to increase iron rich foods in his diet. He's not a big meat eater so it's not exactly an easy task!

I had to laugh last night when he bounded down the stairs to tell me that I just had to buy him Fruit Loops! Now he knows that type of cereal is usually only allowed on his birthday but he insisted I should buy a box to improve his iron levels! Turns out a serving of Fruit Loops contains 50% of a person's daily iron need....seriously.

I'm still not convinced that everything else in it outweighs it's iron profile...but I have to give props to my son for reading the labels at the store!

This smoothie not only offers a couple servings of fruit for him, it has extra iron. Did you know pumpkin seeds are a good source of iron? Neither did I until a friend told me so as she dropped off a jar of pumpkin seed butter on my desk! One 2 tbsp serving gives you 30% of your daily recommended iron intake (this varies depending on brand). Prune juice also has quite a bit of iron so this smoothie has a double hit. I added orange juice as Vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb iron (btw calcium decreases it).

I would love to hear from any parents or bloggers in similar circumstances and what iron rich food recipes you're using!

Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies

Ingredients

1/2 c prune juice
3/4 c orange juice
1/2 banana (preferably frozen)
1 tbsp honey
2/3 c frozen blueberries
1 heaping tbsp pumpkin seed butter

Instructions

Blend everything together for 1 minute.
If too thick add a bit more juice until desired consistency is reached.

Chocolate Avocado Banana Bran Muffins

Don't be fooled into thinking these are your typical high sugar, low nutrient muffins. They are not! They are packed with fibre, whole grains, potassium, and other great nutrients - and they are DELICIOUS! You don't need  many chocolate chips to up the flavour of these muffins thanks to richness of the cocoa so I often will buy a small quantity of really good quality dark chocolate and chop it up into this recipe to maximize the flavours.

I make a batch of these every couple of weeks. I can easily individually wrap them and throw them in the freezer for snacks, breakfasts and any other time we need a bite on the go.The added bonus is that they act as a bit of an ice pack if the kids have other things like cheese or yogurt in their lunch bags!


Calories - approx 206 per muffin

Ingredients

1/2 ripe avocado, mashed
2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (which has less protein than standard whole wheat flour, giving baked goods a more tender texture))
1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
3/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup bran cereal
1 tbsp ground flax
1 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, or chopped good quality chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place milk and cereal in large bowl. Let sit 5 minute to soften cereal.
3. Mix in egg, vanilla, flax, oil, mashed bananas and avocado until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
5. Add flour mixture to cereal bowl. Stir until just combined.
6. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
7. Divide evenly amongst 12 muffin tins.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Avocado Strawberry Smoothie

When my son saw the avocado on the cutting board he wasn't sure he wanted to try this concoction. He didn't think it belonged in a drink! I managed to convince him to try it and thankfully he loved it...the cool straw helped (a present from the amazing Anabel!) This is a great smoothie for afternoon snacks for the kids. It will keep them full until dinner!

Avocado makes a great smoothie ingredient because it results in an incredibly smooth and creamy drink. Since this has avocado and banana this smoothie is quite thick. If it's too thick for your liking add a bit more water or juice.

Makes 2 small smoothies.

Ingredients

1/2 avocado
1/2 banana
5 strawberries
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 c milk
1/2 c orange juice or water (optional)

Directions

Place everything in blender or Nutribullet.
Blend for 45 seconds.

Blueberry Banana Tofu Smoothie

This is my 7 year old son's go to smoothie. Have you ever tried soft tofu? It's great in smoothies. You can use the plain variety of a flavoured dessert type such as our mango-peach variety. It's great if you can't handle dairy (though you'd also have to sub out the yogurt too) but want the creamy quality dairy brings to smoothies. It also adds a few grams of protein to your breakfast or snack. Enjoy!

Makes 1 large or two small smoothies.

Ingredients

150g or about 1/2c soft tofu or a flavored dessert tofu (we used mango peach dessert tofu from Sunrise Soya Foods)
1/4 frozen blueberries
1/2 c yogurt
1/2 banana
1 cup water, juice or coconut water

Instructions

Place everything in blender or Nutribullet. Blend  for 90 seconds.

Olive oil banana bread with molasses

This banana bread came about one day when I had a bunch of overripe, fruit fly calling bananas on my kitchen counter but no room temperature butter. I know I could have zapped the cold butter in the microwave but I always seem to melt it too much and make a mess. And being the impatient baker I am, I did not want to wait to let it warm up naturally. Instead, I used a light tasting extra virgin olive oil.

In case you didn’t know, you don’t substitute olive oil and butter amounts tbsp by tbsp. In this case, the original recipe calls for ¼ cup of butter but I only needed 3 tbsp of oil (healthier already!). I also didn’t cream the oil and sugars as I would have if I had used butter since the oil is in a liquid state.

Olive oil works in many baked goods but especially well here with the fruity bananas and deep tasting molasses and oats. It also adds a great depth of flavour that goes well with the cinnamon.

This banana bread is amazing toasted especially with … a little pat of butter! LOL…so much for “health” improvements. Oh well, I’m sure you’ll love it anyway you eat it! 

Ingredients

1 c white flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c large flake oats
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c molasses
2 large eggs
1 c mashed bananas
1/3 c low fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

What to do

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk, in a large bowl, flours, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and sugar.
3. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, molasses, olive oil, bananas, sour cream and vanilla.
4. Add wet to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Place batter into a 8 x 4 pan that has been coated in non-stick spray.
6. Bake for about an hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely.

Fruit Salad Lower Fat Muffins

Pineapple, banana, apple and strawberry add up to a fruit salad muffin!

These muffins are my new favorite go to treat. They are lower in fat than regular muffins and have quite a bit of fruit in them. The kids love them as a school snack and I like them with a cup of coffee (ok my husband doesn't like them but that's because they contain bananas!). The original recipe came from Anne Lindsay's cookbook, New Light Cooking which has quite a few delicious recipes to try. I've added different fruits and spice to my version but kept the whole wheat goodness of the original.

Makes 12 muffins. They will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days but you can freeze them for up to two months! Each muffin contains about 200 calories, 5 grams of fat and 3 grams of fibre, and 4 grams of protein.

The dollop of jam adds a nice burst of flavour.

Ingredients
2 c whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 c berry sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c mashed banana
1/4 c grated peeled apple
1/4 c finely chopped strawberries
1/2 c crushed pineapple (drained)
1/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c fruit jam

What to do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (according to Anne Lindsay, lower fat muffins tend to stick to paper liners!)
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
4. In another bowl slightly beat egg.
5. To the egg, add vanilla, all fruit, oil, and milk.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the flour and stir to just barely combine (if you over stir the muffins will be tough!).
7. Divide batter evenly amongst 12 muffins tins. Make a small well in the centre of each and add a little fruit jam to each.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.

These muffins stay moist thanks to the fruit!

Mom's Banana Bread Recipe

These little loaves even look like bread slices..get it...banana bread!

I grew up with this banana bread. It is especially good with a little slather of butter while it is still warm. I'd like to tell you that this will keep for a few days but the reality is it that it rarely lasts more than a day before it is eaten up!

And now for some banana  humour:

Q:Why do bananas wear suntan lotion?
A: 'Cause they peel!


Q:Why are bananas never lonely?
A:Because they hang around in bunches.

I usually use  a 9x5 loaf pan for this recipe but once in awhile I use a financier pan to make little loaves which are perfect for my kids' lunches. If you use these little pans (1-1/2 x 3 in) baking time is about 20 minutes.





Ingredients

• 1-3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 c mini chocolate chips
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 medium and very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

What to do
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Sift flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in medium mixing bowl.
• Cream shortening.
• Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas beating until combined after each addition.
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour into 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
• Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread

This is my "go to" recipe for chocolate swirl banana bread. It is from one of my Cooking Light magazines. That issue has many variations of banana bread. This is my favorite and is dog-earred and splattered with ingredients to prove it!

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs
1/3 cup low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Cooking spray

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minute). Add banana, vanilla, eggs or egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; mix until just moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Nutritional Information (using egg substitute)
Calories:183 (23% from fat)
Fat:4.7g
Protein:3.1g
Carbohydrate:33.4g
Fiber:1.3g
Cholesterol:8mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:180mg
Calcium:18mg