Healthy Banana Bread/Muffins

I have been baking banana bread since I was around 10 years old. We always had tons of bananas around since my dad drove a delivery truck for a local banana distributor and would always bring home bags of them. It wasn't a very exciting job until he told me stories of how once in a while the bananas came in with tarantulas in the boxes!

My recipe for banana bread has evolved quite a bit since those early days with mom and dad. It seems every time I make it I add something new. Lately I have been sticking to the following recipe where I have tried to make it a little more healthy by adding some whole wheat flour and flax seed. It is one of the few things my son will eat that I bake so I love to pack it with nutritious ingredients. I also use this recipe to make muffins which are great to pack for a snack for work or school.

Healthier Banana Bread/Muffins

makes 2 loaves or 1 loaf and a dozen muffins

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs,beaten

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

3 large mashed bananas

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 TBLS. ground flax seed

1 cup oats (old fashioned or quick)

1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350.

• Combine sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and bananas, stir well.
• Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add to banana mixture and stir well.
• Now add flax seed, oats, coconut, raisins, cranberries, nuts & chocolate chips to the mixture
• and stir until combined.
• Spray loaf pans with non- stick spray such as PAM and/or line muffin pan with paper liners.
• Fill baking pans and bake muffins for approximately 20 minutes and loaves for 45 to 55 minutes, until tester (toothpick) comes out clean.
• Cool on rack for 5 mintues and then remove from pans and place on rack to cool completely.

Hope you get a chance to try it. Have a great day!