Healthier Recipe For Banana Bread + Video (2024)

FAQs

Is banana bread healthy or unhealthy? ›

Even though some banana breads are high in sugar, fat, and overall calories, most banana breads serve as a good source of key vitamins and minerals. For example, bananas are rich in potassium and vitamin B6. Banana bread made with these fruits contains a good amount of these nutrients.

Moisture is key when it comes to banana bread, and the ratio of flour to banana makes all the difference. If you use too much flour, you'll end up with dry bread. If you don't use enough, your bread will be too wet.

For instance, salt helps stabilize the yeast fermentation rate and strengthens the dough, which is important for achieving the right texture and consistency. So, the next time you're baking, don't overlook the importance of salt! It's an essential ingredient that can make all the difference in the final product.

Though bananas are higher in carbs and sugars than some foods, they also contain fiber and resistant starch that slows down the digestion and release of sugar into your bloodstream. These qualities make bananas a healthy, go-to snack for people with diabetes.

Banana Bread is a delicious snack to manage blood sugar, support stress hormones & aid digestion. It has a moist texture due to the bananas and coconut oil, like a brownie.

Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves. Recipes generally include just enough baking soda to balance the acidity in the batter.

All-purpose flour.

However bread flour also works well.

Banana bread recipes typically ask you to use overripe bananas so that they're easier to mush. This means it's tempting to toss all your bananas into the mix when you're ready to bake, to avoid food waste. But if you add too much of the fruit into your batter, your bread could turn out mushy, heavy, and wet.

Adding more eggs makes for a spongy, less flavorful banana bread. Doubling the number of eggs I was using resulted in a spongy cake with a moist texture. While the banana flavor was present, it wasn't as prominent as it was in other loaves. This had more of a hint of flavor.

Its mind boggling, but rising agents like baking powder and baking soda do NOT make baked goods rise. They simple create the bubbles for steam to expand and grow in the baked good. Therefore, adding more rising agents like baking powder and baking soda will NOT enable greater rise.

Will too much baking soda ruin banana bread? ›

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

It Adds Flavor

If you forget the salt, your bread will likely taste bland unless you have other ingredients to compensate.

“Because salt helps to control fermentation, it's better to catch this one sooner than later in yeast doughs,” says Laurie. Without salt, your dough will rise faster than it normally would, leading to less flavor development and a weaker structure.

Lemon juice or zest

Citrus, especially lemon juice and zest, makes an excellent alternative to salt in some recipes. As a source of acid, lemon juice acts similarly to salt by bringing out the flavors of a dish. Meanwhile, lemon zest contributes an even more potent citrus flavor.

Banana bread not only satisfies our taste buds but also offers several health benefits that regular bread may not provide. With its nutrient-rich ingredients, reduced added sugars, healthier fats, and potential for customization, banana bread proves to be a delicious and nourishing choice.

Having good nutrients can boost energy and help perform daily activities better. Banana bread has healthy fats due to the presence of monounsaturated fats. It comes from ingredients like nuts and olive oil. Moreover, it also has the ability to balance blood sugar levels and lowering the level of cholesterol.

The highly processed flour and additives in white, packaged bread can make it unhealthful. Consuming too much white bread can contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. However, buying bread with the word “whole” as the first ingredient still does not guarantee a healthful product. It is only the first step.

In moderation, bread can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. However, it's best to pick healthier options like whole-wheat or sprouted bread and pair it with a balanced diet to get the maximum health benefits.