Blueberry Banana Bread - Caity



Whenever I buy a bunch of bananas, at least 3 of them end up turning black before I can eat them. In college I learned that, even if they are black, just throw them in the freezer and thaw them when you're ready to make banana bread. The riper the better! I love this recipe because it uses whole wheat flour and blueberries so I can tell myself that I am eating health food while I finish the entire loaf with my whole milk latte. 

Lynn Kestle gave this recipe to my mom and it's from bestselling Canadian cookbook "Fare for Friends", published in support of battered women. The original recipe uses all white flour but Lynn substitutes 1/2 cup whole wheat flour which my family likes to do too, because it gives the bread such great flavor. Another change Lynn makes is to use chocolate chips instead of blueberries. Both variations are great! 

what you'll need: 

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup quick oats (from personal error, Irish steel cut oats do NOT work)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup ripe mashed bananas 
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) OR 3/4 cup chocolate chips, plus a handful for the top


 This is the banana I took out of my freezer. Mmmmm! Tasty! If you want to save yourself the trouble of peeling a frozen banana, you should peel it before you freeze it. Lesson learned for me! 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 


Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 

Add in oats, oil, eggs and mashed bananas; stir to mix. Carefully fold in blueberries (or chocolate chips).

Pour into a greased 9 x 5" loaf pan, sprinkle with an extra handful of chocolate chips (if using) and bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool as long as you can stand it, then devour. Tastes awesome with cold milk or strong coffee. 

 One year ago: Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Spicy Edamame, Grilled Lemon Chicken and Mushroom Flatbread

This recipe also makes great muffins! It makes about 12 muffins. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 



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