Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe

This whole wheat banana bread uses whole wheat pastry flour in place of white flour and cuts the added sugar down to 1/2 cup of soft light brown sugar. Three very ripe mashed bananas go into the batter along with a little nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice, and a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans can be added if you like.

The technique that matters most is folding. Once the butter, sugar and bananas are creamed together, the dry mixture goes in with the eggs and nuts and everything is folded just until smooth. Beating the batter at this point overworks it and gives a dense, tough loaf. The bread bakes in a greased 9×5 loaf pan at 350°F for about 60 minutes, until the center reaches 200 to 205°F.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

A reduced-sugar banana loaf made with whole wheat pastry flour, very ripe bananas, a little warm spice and optional walnuts or pecans.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup soft light brown sugar
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 3 very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl: the flour, baking powder, sea salt and the nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar into the butter until the mixture is fluffy, then blend in the mashed bananas thoroughly.
4. Tip in the dry mixture along with the eggs and, if using, the nuts. Fold everything together just until smooth and no dry flour shows. Do not beat the batter; overmixing at this stage makes the loaf dense and tough.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for about 60 minutes, depending on the oven, until a skewer or toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 200 to 205°F, and the loaf has just started to shrink back from the pan sides. If the top is browning too fast, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan.
7. Leave the loaf in its pan for about 5 minutes, then move it to a cooling rack. Wrap it in plastic wrap only once it is completely cool.

Notes

Either nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice can be used for the 1/2 teaspoon of spice.

The nuts are optional; use walnuts or pecans.

Storage: keep the cooled loaf wrapped at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, or freeze it, wrapped airtight, for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature in its wrapping.