Banana Bread, Two Ways.

We love banana bread around here, and make it pretty often.  Mostly because whenever we buy bananas, we don’t eat them, and they turn brown, so I stuff them in the freezer to save for baking.  Then when there are too many, they start to fly out whenever we open the freezer door, so I’m forced to bake something.

I love banana bread, and the classic recipe is what’s pictured above.  Here’s how I make it:

Banana Bread – can be made gluten free and vegan

Ingredients

2 cups Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend  or regular flour
1 tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp salt
½ cup canola oil
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs (or 2 flax eggs: 2 T. ground flax seed plus 6 T. water, let sit for 5 minutes)
3 bananas, mashed
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the Perfect Flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl mix together the canola oil and sugars. Add eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla, stirring until well blended. Fold in the dry ingredients, flax seeds and  walnuts (if using).

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer loaf to wire cooling rack to cool before serving.

Now, if you want to dress it up a little, you can make it into:

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients

2 cups Namaste Foods Perfect Flour Blend or regular flour
1 tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
½ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
½ tsp vanilla
¾ cups chocolate chips
2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray square cake pan with non-stick spray.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the Perfect Flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl mix together the canola oil and sugars. Add eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla, stirring until well blended. Fold in the dry ingredients, flax seeds and chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired.

Why isn’t there a picture of the chocolate chip cake, you ask?  Well, I made it, and it was too cloudy for pictures for a couple days, and somehow it disappeared. :)