Nutty Banana Bread
Old nanners happen. One day they're on the verge of ripeness and the next, they're destined for banana bread.
Even though bananas are not a super sustainable food, especially for those of us in the northern U.S. (read my post about nanners for the full rundown), food waste is a major issue that we all need to tackle. Instead of throwing out your over-ripe bananas, put them to good use in this banana bread. And in the future, consider saving bananas for a special treat, rather than an everyday food.
In my favorite treat-yo-self b-bread (adapted from my love, Cookie + Kate), I use almond extract and chopped nuts to add a little flair and sophistication. It's sweet, chewy, moist, flavorful...the classic comfort food.
Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 70 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf of bread
Ingredients
⅓ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 ½ medium or 2 large bananas)
¼ cup milk of choice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
Scant 1/3 cup chopped pecans, hazelnuts, or your sustainable nut of choice
Steps
Preheat oven to 325 F. Whisk together all wet ingredients, plus the baking soda and salt. Then, switch to a large spoon to stir in the flour until just combined. Pour batter into lightly oiled 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and top with chopped nuts. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (when a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean) and is golden brown. Let cool on a baking rack, slice and enjoy.
Sustainability tips
Coconut oil: Buying fair trade coconut oil is your best bet here since the coconut oil industry can be harsh on workers and nature. Look for the fair trade logo to ensure that the workers and the environment were treated well in the making of your oil.
Maple syrup: Local, local, local! Reducing the distance your syrup has to travel to get to you can decrease the number of nasty emissions (read: the things that cause climate change) released during travel.
Bananas: The banana industry really isn’t that sustainable. Because of this, I suggest buying fair trade or organic bananas, and only making this bread as a special treat rather than an everyday snack.
Flour: Wheat can be pretty hard on the environment, so be sure to buy flour from a brand you trust. My favorite brand is King Arthur because it's a B Corp, which means it's held to a really high environmental and social standard.