This bread is more fruit cake consistency than bread :-). Moist, delicious, rich and healthy!
It all started with two overripe bananas that made it past a long work week, looking all sad on Saturday. It was my day off from work in a long time and I was looking for reasons to bake.
I repurposed my go-to banana bread recipe and added a ton of dried fruit, nut and chia to it. So here goes!
50 minutes - including bake time
Makes 2 bread loaves
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar or dates syrup
- 2 eggs, at room temperature (Egg replacer? Use 2 Tbsp flaxseed powder with 6 Tbsp water and use)
- 2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
- 1/2 cup oil, vegetable or coconut
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup mixed nuts, roasted (walnuts and cashew)
- 1 cup mixed dry fruit (cranberries, dates, figs, raisins)
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup chia seeds
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- In a blender jar break the banana into pieces. Add eggs, brown sugar, honey, yogurt and oil. Blend for 30 seconds until it forms a smooth mixture. You may also whisk them all together by hand. Set aside.
- Mix nuts, dried fruit, oats, chia seeds and chocolate chips. Reserve half a cup to sprinkle later.
- Add the nut mixture into a mixing bowl. To this add flour, baking soda and salt. Combine well.
- Pour wet mixture to dry and fold with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Spray two loaves with nonstick cooking spray or go the traditional butter and flour dusting.
- Pour batter into pans three-fourths full. Sprinkle reserved dried fruit and oats mixture.
- Bake at 300 F for 40-45 minutes. Insert a skewer in the center. If it comes out clean. It is ready to be out of the oven.
- Let cool completely. You can make this over the weekend, cut slices and store in the fridge to pack as weekday snacks for you, your spouse or kids. Enjoy!
