Whole wheat banana bread with olive oil

Instead of tossing those rather sad looking overripe bananas on your kitchen counter, make good use of them and bake this whole wheat banana bread with olive oil! A moist and spongy banana bread loaded with bananas and chocolate chips (…I mean, what’s not to like?!).

In moist and spongy breads/cakes like this one, mild-tasting olive oil can be a great alternative to butter! It adds a certain lightness and might be a healthier alternative to some. Worried about the taste? Don’t be. You won’t be able to tell!

To add richness to the bread, whole wheat flour is mixed with almond flour. The almond flour adds to a nice crumb and texture (…and a slightly buttery flavor, without butter being used!).

On the lookout for a gluten-free banana cake recipe? Try this gluten-free banana cake with rhubarb topping!

Whole wheat banana bread with olive oil

This moist and spongy whole wheat banana bread is the perfect thing to bake, when you want to make good use of the sad looking overripe bananas on your kitchen counter!

Servings 8-10 people

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 C + 2 tbsp / 250 g cane sugar or regular (granulated) sugar
• 1/2 C / 125 ml mild-tasting extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/3 C / 550 g mashed ripe bananas (5 medium bananas)
• 1 C + 2 tbsp / 180 g whole wheat flour
• 1 C / 112 g almond flour
• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder or a splash of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp fine grain pink Himalayan salt or sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 C / 210 g semi sweet or dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 360 degrees F / 180 degrees C.
2. Whisk together eggs and sugar until light and frothy.
3. Add olive oil and mashed bananas and mix well.
4. Add flours, vanilla powder and salt and mix well.
5. Add baking soda. Squeeze lemon juice over the white powder – the acidic juice activates the baking soda causing it to bubble and rise. Mix well.
6. Add chocolate chips and mix batter one final time.
7. Pour batter into a parchment paper lined rectangular ceramic baking dish (9 x 6” / 23 x 16 cm).
8. Bake for about 60 minutes or until banana bread feels spongy, firm and almost baked through. Turn off the heat and leave the banana bread in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. If, at any point, you think the banana bread gets to dark, simply cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
9. Remove the banana bread from the oven at let it cool in the baking dish.
10. Let cool completely (room temperature) before slicing.

Storage and shelf life

1. The cake stores well at room temperature for a few days, a week or so in the fridge or for months in the freezer.

Do you want to print the recipe for whole wheat banana bread? I’ve got you!