Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

For whatever reason, I always overestimate our banana consumption - each week I think we'll eat more than we do, and then when I only buy 3 or 4 bananas, we eat them within a few days and I want more but don't want to go to the store.  I can't figure out the perfect number of bananas to purchase each week!  What a dilemma.  I guess there are bigger things to complain about :-)  Anyway, a few weeks ago I ended up with a bunch of bananas that looked like this and I would have felt guilty throwing them out.

So I made banana bread!

I think banana bread is kind of like chocolate chip cookies - everyone has their own recipe, and they don't generally change it up too much once they find one that works.  I'm the same way; and this is my tried and true banana bread recipe that always turns out perfect.  The whole wheat flour adds a nice heartiness to the texture that you don't get with white flour - I actually prefer the taste and texture of whole grains to white flour at this point, so am always really happy with the outcome.  Next time, I'll add chocolate chips, and be even happier!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

Recipe Source: Southern Living 2006 Annual Recipes

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl, and make a well in the center of the mixture.  Stir together the bananas and next four ingredients; add to the flour  mixture and stir until everything is moistened, but do not overmix.  Fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan (spray with cooking spray first).  Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour (until a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean).  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.