Healthy Banana Bread Recipe Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

Why are older bananas better for banana bread? ›

Ripe bananas are not only softer and easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists. As the bananas ripen, the fruit converts starches to sugars, making them sweeter and more flavorful.

Fight the urge to use more banana than called for in your recipe. Using too much banana could make your bread heavy and damp in the center, causing it to appear undercooked and unappealing. If you have bananas leftover, you can always freeze them for later use.

When it comes to banana quick bread, the riper the better! The bananas need to be mostly or completely brown, with a mushy, almost pudding-like texture.

Traditional banana breads are made with ingredients such as white flour, sugar, and oil. As such, this dish is often high in calories, carbs, and added sugar. However, the nutrition content may vary depending on the ingredients used.

Banana Bread Nutrition

One slice of banana-nut bread may contain as many as 543 calories and 25 grams of fat. If you're trying to eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day -- an often recommended number for weight loss -- this slice amounts to between 36 and 45 percent of your total daily calories.

It should be stored in a cool, dry place that isn't in direct sunlight. Once it is completely cool, Roszkowski says to keep banana bread fresh by placing it in an airtight container, wrapping it in plastic wrap, or even slicing it and wrapping it in plastic wrap.

But if you try to use up all your bananas without paying attention to the ratio of other ingredients, your bread can turn out damp, soggy, and mushy. Contrary to what one may think, there is such a thing as using too many bananas in a banana bread.

Using too much baking soda or baking powder can really mess up a recipe, causing it to rise uncontrollably and taste terrible.

Let it cool for 10 minutes — this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan. Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes. Grasping the parchment paper sling, lift the loaf out of the pan and place on the cooling rack. Cool for another 10 minutes before slicing.

These brown spots, often seen as a sign of spoilage, are actually a dead giveaway of peak banana bread potential. But, there is a limit. Black bananas or rotten bananas are a no-go. (Note that green bananas are also not a good choice for baking.)

Is banana healthy for weight loss? ›

Although there are no studies that directly examine the effects of banana on weight, they're high in fiber and low in calories. When included as part of a balance diet, bananas may help support weight loss goals. People who want to improve their health are often advised to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Banana bread offers healthy monounsaturated fats with ingredients such as nuts and olive oil. The Healthy Chef's Teresa Cutter states that healthy fats help to stabilize blood sugar levels as well as lower cholesterol levels.

Yes, you can eat bread while trying to lose weight.

There is no need to avoid it completely from your diet. Limit your intake of bread to 25 percent of your plate and enjoy it with vegetables to avoid overconsumption. The secret to losing weight is consuming fewer calories than you utilize during the day.

Don't let them go to waste! Ripe and overripe bananas are superheroes in a healthy kitchen—especially when it comes to vegan baking, where they can bind and moisten ingredients while adding flavor and natural sweetness.

A banana's flavor sweetens and intensifies as it ripens, making it perfect for many baking recipes.

Mold on bananas is fuzzy white, gray, or greenish—it looks a lot like mold on bread. If a banana smells rotten or fermented or is leaking fluid, it's time to say goodbye. If the fruit inside, not just the peel, is black, that's a sign that your banana is too far gone to safely eat.

But bananas are healthy and safe to eat at any stage of their development. The next time you reach for one, remember that a banana that's a little green might have slightly more gut-friendly fiber than one that's completely ripe or overripe (those might be better for one of our healthy banana dessert recipes).