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Banana bread healthier option to curing sweet tooth

By: Krystle Wagner Posted: 06/04/09 3:32pm

I always have a hard time eating all of the bananas I buy. Earlier this week, I noticed that I was neglecting my bananas and decided that I probably wouldn’t eat all of them before they went bad. My solution: Make banana bread.

In addition to being a great way to put the leftover fruit to good use, this bread is also a great way to indulge in a sweet treat without the guilt that most desserts bring with them. It’s a win-win situation, really.

Since I hadn’t made it before, I thought it might be fun to try something new. I searched on foodnetwork.com and found a recipe that looked good and was easy to cook. I looked at the needed ingredients, took stock of what I had at my apartment, then went to the store to get the missing ingredients.

While I put everything I needed on the counter, I taped the recipe on the cupboard so I could look ahead of me while I was mixing things together. I’m the type of person who likes to have a clean and uncluttered cooking space.

Everything went well as I started creaming the butter and sugar together. Things went downhill when I skipped adding the eggs. I didn’t realize I forgot the eggs until I was almost ready to put the batter in the pan. Hoping I hadn’t ruined it by going out of order, I beat the two eggs in the already-mixed batter, then poured it into the buttered pan.

I’m prone to blonde moments and being clumsy, but I thought I actually made it through one thing without one of the two happening.

Before the timer even went off, I could smell the banana bread. It smelled wonderful, and I hoped that it would taste just as delicious.

After waiting for the bread to cool, I put it on a plate and tried a piece. It wasn’t terrible, but it definitely wasn’t the best banana bread I’ve ever had – I consider my grandma’s the best. For my first attempt, I think it turned out decent. It wasn’t difficult to make, so I will probably make it again.

This is the recipe I used:

1 cup of sugar

8 tablespoons unsalted, room-temperature butter

2 large eggs

3 ripe bananas

1 tablespoon of milk

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

The oven should be preheated at 325 degrees and a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan needs to be buttered.

The sugar and butter need to be creamed together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Each egg then needs to be added one at a time and beaten into the mix as they are added.

In a separate bowl, the bananas need to be mashed with a fork. Then, mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir and combined the banana mix to the creamed mixture, then add the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour disappears.

Once everything is mixed together, pour the batter into the pan and bake for one hour. Use a toothpick to determine if it’s cooked entirely. Poke the bread in the center with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, then it is finished. Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes before removing bread from the pan and slicing.

Source: foodnetwork.com

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State News features writer Krystle Wagner gives you the skinny on her journey through a summer of fitness. Read as she examines all aspects of her strides to become a fitness fanatic.

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Commentary:

Wait...

06/04/09 7:39pm

How is this healthier or guilt-free? 8 tbsp of butter = 1 stick, plus a cup of sugar and two eggs.

Are you serious?

06/05/09 9:27am

Contrary to what you may think Banana Bread is really not at all healthy for you aside from the fact that you are eating Bananas. You would, most likely, be better off sticking with your guilty pleasure desserts.

Substitutions....

06/05/09 1:49pm

This recipe is not healthy at all. Cut back on fat and sugar and try experimenting with the recipe. Applesauce can be used in place of oil and butter in some recipes and cut back on the sugar by replacing some of it with powdered milk.

Marie

06/05/09 6:12pm

At least a cup of the flour could have been substituted for whole-wheat flour.

If you have a hard time eating all of your bananas, consider freezing them. Mash them with a fork, then spread it into a thin layer on some plastic wrap. Cover with more plastic wrap, and freeze. You get a nice “sheet” of ripe banana. Break off a piece and throw it in your oatmeal in the morning.

Thanks Marie

06/06/09 11:18am

The suggestion about the wheat flour is really true. I add it sometimes to my cookie recipes as well. Only one cup not two, so I go 1/2 white and 1/2, wheat when I do my recipe. And everyone always says “Thanks Faith for the delicious..” and when I tell them how much healtier it is they often like to try it for themselves. Eatting healthy is often easier than people think.