Perfectly moist and flavorful whole wheat banana bread made with healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt makes for a great breakfast or quick snack. The added crunch from the cacao nibs is pure perfection!
Banana bread has always been one of my favorite quick breads to bake. It is easy to make requiring simple ingredients and; most importantly, I find the sweet and fragrant flavor of banana bread to be so comforting. To make my favorite banana bread recipe more suitable for breakfast, I made some healthy ingredient swabs and additions without sacrificing taste and flavor. The best part of this recipe besides the banana bread itself is that it can be made in one bowl requiring minimal clean up!
How to Make Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs
Key Ingredients
- Flour – white whole wheat flour replaces all purpose flour to make banana bread more rich in fiber
- Greek Yogurt – plain full or low-fat Greek yogurt adds and maintains moisture in whole wheat banana bread
- Bananas – extra ripe bananas perfectly studded with brown spots adds natural sweetness and infuses banana bread with the most delectable banana flavor
- Tapioca Starch – a quarter of the whole wheat flour is substituted with tapioca or corn starch to make for a banana bread that has a lighter texture
Requiring just one bowl, this whole wheat banana bread is a breeze to make. In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas into a chunky puree and whisk in the oil, Greek yogurt, sugar and vanilla extract. Next the eggs are whisked into the wet mixture one at a time followed by the dry ingredients. Give everything a good mix just until banana bread batter comes together without any streaks of flour. Take care not to overmix batter. Pour banana bread batter into a parchment lined loaf pan (9” x 5”) and sprinkle the top with cacao nibs before baking.
Helpful Tips
- May use all-purpose flour in place of whole wheat flour. Just omit the tapioca/corn starch and use 2 cups of all-purpose flour. Alternatively, banana bread can be made using equal parts whole wheat and all-purpose flour without the starch i.e. 1 cup white whole wheat flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
- Banana bread batter should be mixed just until mixture has no visible signs of unmixed flour. Overmixing batter will over develop the gluten in the flour and result in a coarse, less moist bread.
- Whole wheat banana bread is even better the next day as the flavors develop in the bread. Once bread is completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before slicing.
- I find the best way to freeze banana bread is to slice cooled bread and wrap two slices in plastic wrap. Place individually wrapped banana bread slices in a large zip lock, date and freeze. Thaw to room temperature before eating or toasting if desired.
One Bowl Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Cacao Nibs
This one bowl whole wheat banana bread is incredibly moist and packed with banana flavor in each bite. Made with healthier ingredients like whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt this whole wheat banana bread makes for a great breakfast or quick snack. The added crunch from the cacao nibs is pure perfection!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 Slices
Ingredients
• 1 3/4 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 Cup Tapioca/Corn Starch
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1/2 Cup Coconut/Brown Sugar
• 4 Medium Ripe Bananas, about 1 1/2 Cup
• 1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt, Plain, Full/Low-fat
• 1/2 Cup Neutral Flavored Oil i.e. Grapeseed/Avocado Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Cacao Nibs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a standard size loaf pan (9” x 5”) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash up the bananas into a chunky puree and whisk in the oil, Greek yogurt, sugar and vanilla extract. One at a time, whisk eggs into wet batter.
- Next, add in the dry ingredients and mix batter just until there is no presence of unmixed of flour. Take care not to over mix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, sprinkle with cacao nibs and bake for 50-60 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow banana bread to rest in pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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