Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

This is a relatively healthy Banana Bread recipe. It is free of all the preservatives that go into commercial loaves and cakes.

Plus, you can justify eating this easy banana bread recipe if you know the health benefits of bananas - they are high in potassium! This recipe is a take on talented Australian author Belinda Jeffery's banana cake recipe , in her fabulous book, "Mix and Bake." I would suggest doubling the recipe and making 2 banana breads. They freeze easily.

You can make the banana pulp by mashing the bananas or by whizzing them in a food processor. Make sure that the bananas are really ripe. They should, in fact, be over-ripe, almost to the point of fermenting! They look disgusting, but this gives the real 'banana' flavor to the banana bread recipe.

Easy

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 - 40 minutes

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

4oz / 125g butter, cut into cubes

1½ cups light brown raw sugar

2 eggs

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup banana pulp (about 2 - 3 bananas)

1½ cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 cup pecan nuts, chopped

You will need a 9" (23cm) loaf tin.

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F / 180° F.
Line the loaf tin with baking paper if necessary. Alternatively, just spray it with cooking spray.
Cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs and continue to cream. Add the buttermilk and vanilla essence.
Add the banana pulp to the mixture.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Fold into the mixture.
Fold in the pecan nuts.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out just clean. Carefully turn the loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.