Michael

Whole Wheat Healthy Banana Bread

Wholesome whole wheat banana bread sweetened with honey and brown sugar. Bake as a loaf or as muffins using the high-heat rise method.

Serves 16–18 muffins or 2 loaves Oven Vegetarian Breakfast

This recipe is scaled 50% above the original. It yields 16–18 large muffins, or enough batter for two standard 23×13cm (9×5 inch) loaf pans. Cook times below cover both options.

Ingredients

Dry

330g (2⅔ cups) whole wheat flour
1½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt

Wet

432g mashed ripe bananas (approximately 4–5 medium)
135g unsweetened applesauce
3 large eggs
127g (⅜ cup) honey
75g (⅜ cup) brown sugar, packed
120ml (½ cup) milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix-ins

100g (1 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

Mix the Batter

Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, applesauce, and eggs until combined. Whisk in honey, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined — do not overmix. Fold in walnuts.
Rest. Let batter sit for 10 minutes. Whole wheat flour needs time to absorb the liquid; this prevents a gritty texture and gives a softer crumb.

Bake as Muffins

Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill each liner all the way to the top.
Bake at 220°C / 425°F for 5 minutes to encourage a tall rise.
Without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 175°C / 350°F and bake for a further 15–18 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean. Total bake time: 20–23 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Bake as a Loaf

Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease two standard 23×13cm (9×5 inch) loaf pans.
Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is deep golden brown. Tent loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly.
Cool in the pans for 10–15 minutes before turning out onto a rack. Banana bread is fragile when hot — allow to cool fully before slicing.

One pan: If you only have one loaf pan, bake one loaf and make the remaining batter as muffins alongside it. The muffins will finish faster — remove them when done.