My husband LOVES banana bread and so for the first five years of our marriage, I’d buy the banana bread “box” mix from the grocery store. But one day my husband (I think around 2008?) came home from Starbucks with a Walnut Banana Bread Recipe card. We tried making it from scratch and the taste of homemade doesn’t even compare to the boxed version!
This recipe is a modified version of that old Starbucks recipe and is still a family-favorite as banana bread is a great way to use up old bananas that are way too soft to be eaten!
Ingredients
- Whole grain flour: I used fresh milled Einkorn
- Vital wheat gluten: Optional, but it helps a low-gluten wheat like Einkorn rise while improving the crumb and chewiness in the final loaf
- Baking soda: A staple in any quick bread recipe
- Salt: To bring out the flavor of the banana and flour
- Sugar: For added sweetness
- Egg: It helps keep everything together
- Vanilla extract: To support the flavor of the banana
- Buttermilk: It adds a slight tang and moisture to the bread. If you don’t have buttermilk, take a 1/4 cup of cow’s milk and add a splash of white vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes and use as a replacement to buttermilk in this recipe
- Olive oil: You can also use vegetable oil, but I don’t cook with seed oils. If you don’t have olive oil on hand, consider coconut oil or avocado oil as alternatives
- Bananas: Can’t be the flavor and texture of over ripened bananas, the staple of banana bread!
Variations for whole grain banana bread
- Swap flours: Use different flour combinations. This bread is delicious using Hard Red Wheat or Spelt
- Double or triple your recipe: Wrap a whole loaf in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to three months
- Add nuts: Mix into the batter or add on the top walnuts or pecans
Frequently asked questions
What is Einkorn?
Einkorn in an ancient wheat that has been around for thousands of years. It’s a good source of dietary protein and some vitamins (especially B vitamins and thiamine), and has been shown to have higher carotenoid (antioxidant) levels, particularly lutein, which is great for eye health. It’s high in protein and low in gluten, which makes it a good option for those with certain gluten sensitivities.
What is quick bread?
Quick breads are just that–quick! Unlike wild yeast (sourdough) breads or yeast breads, both which require time for the bread to rise, quick breads use a chemical reaction. Baking soda, baking powder, or a combination of both are used to give breads the “lift” that makes bread, bread!
Does Einkorn work in quick breads?
Yes! Einkorn can be a bit tricky if you are using it in sourdough or yeast breads, but because you use a spatula to mix and dump quick bread batter directly into the baking pan, you don’t have to worry about the workability of this grain.
What is vital wheat gluten?
Gluten is an important part of a yeast bread’s structure as it helps it rise and stay risen. Vital wheat gluten can provide extra gluten that whole-grain loaves need to rise their highest. It’s particularly helpful when you’re baking with a low-gluten or gluten-free grain, such as Einkorn, Rye, Oat, Teff, Spelt, and Buckwheat.
Einkorn Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Smaller bowl (to combine the wet ingredients)
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Standard bread pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole grain Einkorn (or other whole grain can be used)
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tbsp Vital wheat gluten (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Salt (Kosher or coarse mineral salt)
- 1 whole Egg
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 tbsp Buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 3 whole Ripe medium-large bananas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, vital wheat gluten, and salt) in a large bowl and combine
- Combine the sugar, egg, and olive oil in the smaller bowl
- Pour the wet ingredients from the smaller bowl into the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix to combine the ingredients but if you are using 100% whole wheat flouur, it will be likely dry
- Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water. Whole grains need more hydration than if you're using an all-purpose flour so start with 1/8 cup and add more as needed. For Einkorn I added scant of a full 1/4 cup.
- Let the batter rest about 15-minutes so the whole grains can absorb the water
- Peel and mash three ripe bananas. They can be SUPER black–the more ripe the better!
- Add the vanilla and buttermilk, stirring to combine
- Add batter to greased pan (I used olive oil for this loaf but have also used butter) and bake for 50-60 minutes until knife comes out clean
- Let the bread cool for 15 minutes once you take it out of the oven, then carefully remove it from the pan to finish cooling
