Bananas for a NEW Banana Bread
by
Beth Warren
April 27, 2020
We weren’t the only ones who noticed the quarantine banana bread trend all over the cyber world. Google Trends showed a spike of interest in banana bread too. At BWN, we love a clean treat banana bread recipe (get our gluten free one by clicking here). So, we wanted to dig deeper and understand why the world was first catching onto one of our fave crazes.
Here are 10 “why” reasons we found some people feel the need to bake banana bread in quarantine (plus a bonus recipe below):
1. Bananas are one of the only fruit that actually get tastier over time. When they go limp and mushy they can be repurposed.
2. Americans have been buying more food with the quarantine restrictions, which means there’s more opportunity for things to go bad, like bananas.
3. Bananas and carbs feed our primal survival instincts, which feels like more of an urgency today.
4. Baking banana bread is an activity to do beyond watching TV, working, and reading during quarantine.
5. Banana bread is usually a forgiving recipe.
6. Banana bread is the epitome of comfort food.
7. Banana bread is meditative to create.
8. Baking banana bread is an act of self-care.
9. Banana bread is an easy-to-reach achievement in a time when we’re all feeling defeated.
10. Plus, it’s a great way to keep your kids busy by cooking something healthful and yummy in the kitchen. Hence, the recipe below made entirely by my 11 year old daughter, Channah (although according to her, she would add more chocolate chips!).
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (save some for the top)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the bananas, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. Add in the cinnamon, salt and flour and continue to mix until fully combined, but not over-mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips (save a few on the side). Pour batter into a loaf ban sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chocolate chips that were set aside on top. Bake on 350F for 20-30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.
Beth's Tip: Tired of the "bread" in "banana bread"? Pour the batter into a muffin tray to create Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
*You can easily substitute comparable ingredients such as a variety of flours, oil, sugar based on what you have available in your quarantined kitchens. This recipe is very forgiving.
