Tag: banana bread

Berry Good Banana Bread.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes2 Comments

We love our banana bread in this house, as it is, with chocolate, with yoghurt, with nuts and now with berries.

The best thing about this cake is it works well with whichever berries you have on hand. I have made it with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries and it always turns out great. I have also made with with sugar, and honey and it turned out well too.

Banana strawberry goodness!

This is a perfect treat for breakfast, tea time, school snack, dessert and even as a gift for a loved who loves banana bread.

Let us get started.

Ingredients are:-

1. 2 1/2 cups self raising flour. (If using All purpose flour, remember to add 11/4 tsp of baking powder and 1 tsp baking soda, plus a small pinch of salt).

2. 1 level tsp ground cinnamon.

3. 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional).

4. 1 1/2 cup sugar or sweet honey.

5. 4 large mashed really ripe bananas.

6. 1 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries. (I usually let them thaw a bit and mash roughly).

7. 1/3 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil).

8. 2 large eggs.

9. 1 tsp vanilla.

10. 1 cup strawberry or mixed berry yoghurt.

Method.

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C and grease your baking tin really well.

3. Sift your flour and cinnamon in a large bowl, add the coconut and mix well.

4. In another bowl, mix the oil, sugar and eggs till well combined, then add the mashed banana and berries, followed by the vanilla.

5. Add dry ingredients to the wet as well as the yoghurt. Be careful not to overmix.

6. Add the batter to the pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hr, till cake is ready and a skewer comes out clean. I usually lower the temperature to about 160 after twenty minutes, and it takes about the same time to bake.

7. Let cake rest in pan for ten minutes then flip it carefully onto a rack and let cool completely in an airy area.

Baking times may vary as ovens are different so start checking at about the 50 minutes mark.

Looks so good!

Cut a slice and enjoy it!

Tip: I love making it in my bundt pan, but it works well in any large baking tin.

Baked this one with honey, it’s just a bit darker but tastes just as delicious as the one made with sugar.

It looks, smells and tastes so good. It is moist and crumbs beautifully too. Definitely worth a try don’t you think?

One Bowl Banana Muffins.

On By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

These muffins are so sweet and fluffy. Perfect for tea time, snack time and the kid’s lunchboxes.

They do not take too much time to make, use what you have on hand and only one bowl from beginning to end. What’s not to to love about them.

Below is the recipe card.

Makes 12 muffins.

They rise so beautifully!

Try them and enjoy!

Love,

Wanjoro.

Leo’s Banana Bread.

On By WanjoroIn Memories, Parenting, Recipes1 Comment

My son loves bananas. If there is one fruit that this household can never get enough of, it is this.

He likes helping me out a lot in the kitchen too and has a keen interest in how food comes together. I was therefore not too surprised when he asked to be taught how to bake banana bread.

He can fry up a mean egg. Helps in shopping (safely), stirring and cleaning up; he is my little sous chef and I am always happy to have the extra help.

So here is his banana bread Version. We used self raising flour, grated chocolate, coconut oil and love. Lots of love to make this heavenly coconut scented banana and chocolate loaf.

It is moist, fluffy, aromatic and so delish!

To make it you will need:-

  • 11/2 cups self raising flour.
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil.
  • 1-1/2 cups of really ripe mashed banana.
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar.
  • 2 eggs.
  • 1/4 cup unflavoured yoghurt.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon.
  • 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate.

Method.

1.Mix the bananas, oil, egg, sugar and yoghurt together. Add in the vanilla and ground cinammon, then the flour. Fold in the chocolate last.

2. Pour into a greased or parchment lined loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 35-40 minutes.

3. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove onto a rack to cool, and let rest 30 minutes before slicing.

The cake is moist, aromatic and so delicious, but not too sweet.

Perfect on its own, with some tea or hot chocolate, with some custard or vanilla ice cream.

It keeps well in a covered dish for a couple of days on the countertop, that is if you still have some leftover, which I doubt will happen.

Mmmh! looking at this image makes me crave it!

Blackstrap Molasses Banana Bread.

On By WanjoroIn RecipesLeave a comment

This is an easy one bowl banana bread with blackstrap molasses. The bananas are some green ones I had that ripened before I got to cooking the last of the harvested batch from our garden.

Yes. You can use green banana too if they ripen before you get to cook them. Do not throw them out. If they are more than you can use, peel and freeze them in ziplock bags.

I do the same with fast ripening yellow banana and plantains. I pack three to four at a time and they come in handy when baking quick bread, for smoothies and pancakes too.

I used blackstrap molasses to make it healthy and I need the iron boost. The flavour is not overpowering and blends well with the mixed spices and makes the bread have a dark rich colour.

This is a straightforward recipe. You will need:-

  • 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
  • 5-overripe green bananas
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil – I like using coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp mixed spices blend (mine had ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom).
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp caramel essence, vanilla will work too.
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional).

Method.

  • Blend the wet ingredients and pour into a bowl, add the dry ingredients to it. mix and add to your parchment lined cake pan.
  • Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about an hour, (start checking at 50 minutes mark), till skewer comes out clean.

There are green bananas that had been harvested in our garden, and ripened before I could use them all up.
The best thing about this is you can pour all your wet ingredients and whizz them in the blender, it is faster and ensures they all incorporate well.
The blackstrap molasses and dark brown sugar make the batter look a bit dark which is ok.
My son likes peeking to watch the cake rise.
Let it rest about 15 minutes in the cake pan before removing it to let it cool on a rack.
The cake is moist, has a rich colour, smells and tastes amazing.
Perfect for tea, snack or with custard as a dessert. It is soft, moist, delicious and so aromatic.

Definitely worth a try!

Honey Banana Bread with a Twist.

On By WanjoroIn Recipes3 Comments

Do you love banana bread? I do, and though I have my main “go to” recipe, I am always looking for different ways to jazz it up. From adding blueberries, to nuts, to marbled banana bread, peanut butter, Nutella, using self raising flour, and this one which I tried some time ago using, wait for it…… avocado!

Disclaimer:I am not a perfect baker by any means, I just like experimenting with my food sometimes.

Let’s get started shall we?

Ingredients:-

  1. 3 cups flour, I used All purpose flour, amaranth flour and brown flour.
  2. 4 large ripe bananas.
  3. 2 eggs.
  4. One half of a ripe avocado.
  5. 1/3 cup natural yoghurt.
  6. 2/3 cup honey.
  7. 1/4 cup sunflower oil.
  8. 1 tsp salt.
  9. 2 tsp baking soda.
  10. 1tsp baking powder.
  11. 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar.
  12. 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  13. A pinch of cinnamon.

Method.

Prepare your baking tin and preheat your oven at 180°C.

Mash the bananas and avocado together.
Add the oil, eggs and honey, mix well.
Add the yoghurt and all other ingredients except the flours.
Mix.
Sift the flour mix into the wet ingredients.
Once mixed, pour into your prepared baking tin.
Decided to add some oats and chia on top just before putting in the oven.
Bake for about 75 min or until ready (check with a skewer ) at 180° C.
Voila! The darker colour is because of the brown flour and the honey too as it darkens baked goods.

This definitely qualifies as a healthy quick bread, don’t you think?

It was tasty, a bit dense but moist and you could not guess the ingredients in there, other than the banana of course. The family loved it and I did too. Win!