A moist, super healthy banana bread recipe which boasts great banana flavour with nuts (pine or walnut) and optional add-ins like chocolate chips. The best part? It’s made with an ancient grain and sweetened with honey!
Honey-Sweetened Banana Bread Recipe:
Ingredients
Coconut oil. This oil is great to add into baking recipes as its taste remains neutral throughout the process. I sometimes use extra virgin olive oil which adds a slight earthy note to the dish. The difference is quite subtle, but some palates are able to discern the taste.
Honey. Unlike many recipes which call for granulated sweeteners, this moist banana bread uses honey, a great liquid sweetener. Feel free to substitute honey for another type of liquid sweetener like maple or date syrup.
Eggs. A natural binder, only two eggs are needed to whip up this banana bread. I sometimes substitute the eggs for chia eggs when I bake a vegan alternative. It works just as well and who doesn’t appreciate some crunch in their banana bread, similar to if you add poppy seeds.
Bananas. Use those lovely spotty bananas to add to the natural sweetness of this recipe. The more ripe the banana, the easier it is to mash and the sweeter it is. I often blend my bananas as I prefer a smooth mixture for my banana bread.
Milk. I use regular full cream milk, sometimes diluted cream. Feel free to substitute plant based milk into this recipe. They work just as well.
Baking Soda. Please note that this is NOT baking powder. Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) gives a more potent reaction, hence it usually requires less than recipes that use baking powder.
Vanilla Extract. No banana bread is complete without vanilla and other spices. I do not use vanilla with added sugars or syrups. I also avoid vanilla extracts which leave alcohol in them.
Salt. Even though this is a sweet bread, it would be tasteless without a tip of salt. This helps to bring out all the other lovely flavours.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg. The flavour combo of cinnamon and nutmeg complement this honey sweetened banana bread perfectly.
Kamut Flour. This ancient grain is perfect to balance the moisture of this honey sweetened banana bread. This is also called Khorasan flour. It isn’t ground as finely as white wheat flour, and the texture is evident in the finished product. Check out the benefits of this flour here.
Add-ins. I’d say, go nuts with your add-ins! Pine nuts, walnuts, chocolate chips, banana slices,
How To Make Honey Sweetened Banana Bread
Preheat the oven. Prepare the baking tin and preheat the oven to 325F.
Mix melted coconut oil with honey. Whisk the coconut oil and honey until thoroughly combined.
Add the eggs. Whisk in the eggs (or chia eggs) until slightly frothy.
Add mashed bananas and milk. Stir in the star of the show and your liquid protein of choice.
Add baking soda, spices and salt. Add remaining ingredients (minus flour) and combine.
Fold in Kamut. Use a spatula to fold in the kamut flour to your honey sweetened banana bread. Do not beat/whisk.
Bake. Pour batter into prepared baking tin and bake for 55-60mins.
If you’ve enjoyed making this banana bread, try our other equally tasty Chocolate Tahini Banana Bread recipe!
Honey Sweetened Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil/ coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 cup honey/maple syrup
- 2 eggs or chia egg equivalent
- 1 cup mashed banana
- 1/4 cup milk use dairy free milk for vegan
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 tsp baking soda NOT baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 3/4 cup Kamut flour
Optional Add-Ins
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips/pine nuts/walnuts/sliced bananas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk.
- If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove)
- Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Lastly, use a spatula to fold in the flour, just until combined. If you’re adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now.
- Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Feel free to decorate the top with banana slices.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean (no add-ins usually means the bread is done in 55mins).
- Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes. Carefully transfer the loaf to a cooling tray and slice only when completely cooled.
Notes
- DO NOT store remaining honey sweetened banana bread in the refrigerator. This bread is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The fridge dries out the bread and changes the texture.
- GLUTEN FREE: Gluten Free flour options can also be substituted into this recipe. Feel free to the sub the same amount of oat, coconut or almond flour.
- DAIRY FREE: Sub your favourite dairy free milk for a dairy free banana bread.
- MAKE IT VEGAN: Use maple syrup instead of honey and you've got yourself an equally tasty banana bread. Also sub Chia eggs for eggs.
