One Bowl Banana Bread

Are any of you “old school” or as I like to say “traditionalists” like me?  I LOVE technology ESPECIALLY when it makes my life easier.  Like that phone we all carry around that can access the internet by a touch of a button OR by just talking to it with the voice command.  It’s FANTASTIC!  It’s AMAZING!  It’s CHANGED OUR WORLD.

Well, when I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, minimalistbaker.com, I was constantly pulling it up every time I had rotten bananas in my house.   What got to be frustrating was I’d start making the recipe and the phone would go blank!  It’d go into “sleep mode”.  Grrrr!  That’s when I went “old school” and wrote it down in the book I call “Recipes from home”.  More on that in another post. 🙂

Let’s get back to the rotten bananas!

We all have them.  You buy the 6-pack of bananas and by the end of the week, half of them have the giraffe markings.  You know, the brown spots all over that long slender yellow body.  I personally will only eat bananas that are all yellow with a touch of green at the stem.  Total banana snob, I know.  I believe there are other, more fantastic ways to use those giraffy bananas: freeze for smoothies or pull out this recipe for the easiest, quickest, healthiest banana bread (or muffins) ever!

THE INGREDIENTS

The best part about this recipe is it is made in ONE BOWL!  Aaaahhh.  Isn’t that great!  Because the best part of baking is the final product and the worst is the mess you have to clean up!  One bowl.  That’s it. (and may be a measuring spoon, cup, and wet measuring cup).  Love it.

EGG SUBSTITUTE: USE FLAXSEED MEAL

But hold hour horses kids.  Have you ever started baking and you went to the fridge and you were OUT OF EGGS?  There are lots of ways to solve this dilemma: you could go to the store really quick (but the kids are sleeping); you could call a neighbor (but it’s too late to call–“Hey Julie.  I know it’s 10pm and you are in bed but, … can I borrow an egg?”); or…you could substitute with a flax egg!

I love flaxseed meal. I add it to my granola, oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, etc.  This powerful seed is high in Omega-3, a great source of fiber and research indicates that it may reduce risks of certain cancers as well as cardiovascular disease and lung disease.  Who doesn’t want that?!

To make a flaxseed egg, in a small bowl, measure out 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water.  Let that sit for about 5 minutes and it’s ready to roll in your recipe!

WET INGREDIENTS

Now we are ready so start mixing in that ONE BOWL!  Hoot Hoot!  Mash up those bananas, then add all the ingredients from the vanilla thru the cinnamon.  Don’t forget that flaxseed egg!

Whisk that all together and follow with adding your milk of choice.  I like almond milk but I do use cows milk if it’s more convenient.  (Everything is about convenience these days 🙂 )

Once milk is whisked in, add the final 3 ingredients to the bowl (almond meal, flour and oats).  

ADD DRY INGREDIENTS

Once everything is incorporated, you are ready to add it to your pan.

For a loaf of bread, you can pour the batter into a 4″ x 9″ bread loaf pan and bake for 1-1.25 hours until a toothpick comes out clean.

OR, you can do as I usually do, and instead of making a loaf, make 12 muffins.  Muffins are the best!  Here’s why:

1. Portion control!  I don’t know about you but after that loaf comes out of the oven, I can easily eat half a loaf!!!!
2. Healthy snack. They are a super easy, quick snack or breakfast that comes in their own handy dandy individual wrapper.
3. Freezable. You can put them in individual ziplocks and freeze them for quick on-the-go snacks for the future!

Pop these in the oven for 20-25 minutes and you have yourself some warm muffins to have for snacks, breakfast, or whenever you wish!

One bowl, 12 individual servings, 3 rotten bananas off your counter.  Now THAT’S what I call a win win WIN!

Bon appetit, y’all!