bananas Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

Blueberry Banana Muffins (Naturally Low-Fat)

These tender, delicious Blueberry Banana Muffins are naturally low in fat, high in flavor, and bursting with fresh blueberries!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Moist and tender, these Blueberry Banana Muffins are bursting with fresh blueberries; plus they are naturally low in fat and added sugars! Great for grab-n-go breakfasts and easy snacks, they mix up in just minutes.

**A Truly Moist, Delicious Blueberry Muffin that Just Happens to Be Low Fat**

Whenever I see the term “low-fat” called out in a recipe, the first thing that usually pops into my head is a pile of shredded wheat atop a sandy dune. Dry. Desolate. Void of flavor or life.

This blueberry muffin recipe is the opposite of that! Bananas and applesauce in the batter reduce the need for added sugars and take the place of added fats; making these moist, easy-to make muffins naturally low in fat and high in flavor!

**What is Demerara sugar?**

Demerara is a minimally-refined raw cane sugar with a large, rectangular grain; blond in color. It has a light flavor similar in flavor to brown sugar.

Demerara sugar is especially great for sprinkling on top of baked goods to get that bakery-fresh sugar crunch on top. It gives baked goods bit of sparkle as well.

You might be surprised at the number of different kinds of sugars that are used around the world! In addition to the standard US pantry staples of heavily refined white sugar and brown sugar, there are a number of other less-refined sugars that bring unique depth, texture, and aromatic flavor to your recipes.

More popular Raw and Less Refined Sugars Used in Cooking

• Turbinado is slightly refined raw cane sugar. It is similar in appearance to Demerara, but has a lighter, more caramelly flavor. Turbinado is a good replacement for white or light brown sugar in baked goods and beverages. Turbinado is made from the first pressing of sugar cane and retains some natural molasses.

Like Demerara, a sprinkle of the tops of baked goods will yield a crystally, crunchy bite.

• Jaggery is an unrefined “brick sugar” that is made from palm, coconut, or java plants. Color can range from light golden to dark brown, and it is purchased in the form of a cone.

• Muscovado is a very sticky, sandy cane sugar with a strong molasses flavor. It can be used in place of brown sugar, but it has a much stronger flavor, and is best for savory dishes like barbecue sauces and marinades.

• Piloncilo is a raw cane sugar commonly used in Mexican cooking. Often referred to as Mexican brown sugar, it’s probably one of the secret ingredients in your favorite mole.

• Sucanat (short for sucre de canne naturel) is natural cane sugar, made from crystallized pure cane sugar. Sucanat granules are a tan-brown color, with an intense molasses flavor.

Most of the sugars on this list are classified as “raw,” and can often be found in your bakery aisle or at natural foods markets.

Post Updated October 16, 2020 (Originally published January 11, 2014)

Naturally Lowfat Blueberry Banana Muffins

These tender, deliciousBlueberry Banana Muffins are naturally low in fat, high in flavor, and bursting with fresh blueberries!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time28 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast or Brunch, Snack

Keyword: baking

Servings:

Calories: 192kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Standard Muffin Tin
Muffin Tin Liners

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

10 ounces mashed bananas about 2 medium bananas; 1¼ cups
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg lightly beaten
1/3 cup chunky applesauce

Berries & Topping

2/3 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
3 tablespoons Demerara sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F [190°C].
Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake papers and/or spray with baking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a large bowl, stir bananas, sugar, egg, and applesauce until evenly mixed.
Using a spatula, fold the wet ingredient mixture into the dry mixture, mixing only no more dry flour is visible.
The batter will be a little lumpy and about the same consistency as thick cake batter.
Do not over mix.
Stir in blueberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1 teaspoon of Demerara sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool on wire rack.

Notes

These muffins freeze well, so make a couple of batches to keep on hand for a fast, easy breakfast or snack.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

DID YOU KNOW?

Most quickbread recipes can be made into muffins, so be sure to check our Zucchini-Banana Bread, Classic Banana Bread, and Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread recipes! They can all easily be made into muffins! Just mix up the batter as directed, fill a standard muffin tin, and bake at 375°F [190°C] for 15-20 minutes!

So Thankful for Our Reader Comments & Advice!

As the update notice above the recipe card indicates, this recipe was originally posted some years ago. In fact, the only thing about this post that looks like the old one is the list of ingredients in the recipe: everything else is new and improved.

There is one small change to the recipe: the muffins are now sprinkled with Demerara sugar instead of Turbinado sugar before going into the oven.

This wasn’t so much a change as it was a correction. When I originally wrote up this recipe, I didn’t understand that Demerara sugar and Turbinado sugar are actually two different things, so I listed the latter when I meant the former.

This all came to my attention when a kind reader named Judy chimed with a lovely comment on the original post. In her note, Judy mentioned that she had used Demerara sugar for the top instead of Turbinado. She went on to say that doing so gave the muffins a nice crunchy bite after they cool.

And just like that, I realized I’d been calling Demerara sugar by the wrong name all these years!

We are so grateful to our readers for their helpful, uplifting comments! Thank you, Judy!

If you love blueberries, be sure to check out our Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie recipe!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

August 21 By Renée 6 Comments

These delicious Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars will give them something hearty and healthy to start their day – no matter how fast they have to run for the bus!

7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m. – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to school. (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

^{This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.}

Seven minutes. Em has an average of seven minutes – to get dressed, check her face, comb her hair, check her face again, maybe put on a little make-up, gather her school supplies that were supposed to be together the night before, grab her clarinet, hug her Mama and run out the door…

Breakfast? Most often, it is in her hand – because if she can’t hold it and eat it before she gets to the bus stop, it won’t get eaten. Because, heaven forbid should anyone know that she actually eats breakfast. (“It’s embarrassing.”) And somehow, no matter how early she gets up, it doesn’t change the amount of time she allots for eating breakfast. Thirteen-year old girls are weird.

Any Mama or Papa who has children who hop on a school bus has at least a few mornings when there isn’t time to sit down and eat anything. Some of us more than others, I’m sure, but we’ve all been there. So when you press something into their hands as they bolt out the door, you hope it’s something healthy and delicious (and NOT full of weird chemicals and preservatives) – something that will stick with them for the whole morning. Something that might even remind them that they are loved.

A few weeks ago, I threw a bunch of ingredients in a bowl, waved my magic spatula and came up with a new favorite – soft, healthy, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars full of oatmeal and yumminess.

I like to wrap these breakfast bars individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

[NOTE: This post has been updated. It was originally published in February 2014. Our little Princess leaves for college this fall!]

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe | Gluten-free, Dairy-free | The Good Hearted Woman

5 from 6 votes

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

These soft, hand-friendly oatmeal breakfast bars are gluten-free, dairy-free and full of oatmeal yumminess.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Keyword: Breakfast Bar Recipe, Breakfast Bars

Servings: Bars

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Renée ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 large banana mashed
½ cup honey
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup ground almonds or ground flaxseed
1 Tbls ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger optional: I love ginger!
1 Tbls baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups almond milk

Optional Breakfast Bar Add-ins

¼ cup coconut
¼ cup golden raisins or craisins
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup anything else that sounds good ahem… chocolate chips, anyone?

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.
Add in oats, ground almonds, ginger, baking powder, salt and and “optional additions” you choose, mix well with wet ingredients.
Pour in almond milk and stir combine. Set on counter for 15 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper.
Bake 1 hour, or until the top is slightly golden and it is “bouncy” to the touch. (Like a heavy quickbread.)
Cool and cut into 18 bars.
To store, wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then freeze them in gallon freezer bags.

Notes

I like to wrap these individually and freeze them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags, then take out however many I need the night before. They’re great cold, but for a warm breakfast on the go, ten seconds in the microwave makes them even better.

NOTE: Nutritional analysis DOES NOT INCLUDE optional add-ins.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

^{Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!}

Zucchini-Banana Bread: The Best of Both Worlds!

September 16 By Renée 5 Comments

Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist Zucchini-Banana Bread is the best of both worlds!

It seems like every mother’s child and shirt-tail cousin remembers their favorite “best ever” quick bread, and the person who made it for them too. For me, it will always and forever be my mother’s banana bread – fresh out of the oven or cold from the fridge – it didn’t matter.

Mom’s banana bread was always, every time, Perfect. The only way to make it any better was to slather a thin layer of fresh butter over the top of a thick slice and eat it slowly, savoring every bite like it was my last.

Try as I might, I’ve never been able to replicate mom’s banana bread. Something’s always missing. Maybe it’s the smell of our turquoise kitchen, or the slick yellow and chrome kitchen table I sat at to eat. Maybe it’s just my mom in her brown flour-covered apron.

Whatever it is, her recipe is likely long lost, along with her fading memory, so unless I stumble on it tucked between the pages of one of her many hoarded cookbooks, it may well be gone forever. But I keep trying.

POST UPDATE 5/2/2018: I did it! You can find Mom’s Banana Bread recipe here.

However, my latest attempt took a turn away from straight banana bread. For this, I merged my banana and zucchini bread recipes into what turned out to be an amazingly tasty loaf.

After making a number of batches, I attribute this bread’s soft texture and rich flavor to the fact that, for the first time in years, instead of subbing in yogurt as I usually do, I went with full-fat ingredients.

If you are trying to cut fat, you can always sub it back in, but keep in mind that the relatively small amount of fat used is balanced by the fact that most of the moisture (and a lot of the sugar) in this bread comes from fruit and vegetable sources.

TIP: I like to sprinkle some raw sugar on the loaves just before I pop them in the oven. It gives the tops a thin glazed texture, and I think it makes the bite feel more interesting on the tongue. (For reference, the small loaf above on the right was sprinkled, and the loaf on the left was not.) Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

Zucchini Banana Bread

This amazingly moist Zucchini-Banana Bread is the best of both worlds!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Comfort Food

Keyword: quick bread

Servings: slices

Calories: 138kcal

Author: Renée | The Good Hearted Woman

Equipment

2 Standard Loaf Pans

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
3 ripe medium bananas mashed (or two large)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup raw sugar optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Grease and flour two 8x4 bread loaf pans (or just spray them with nonstick cooking spray).*
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixture, beat eggs until they are light yellow and frothy.
Add sour cream, oil, white and brown sugars, grated zucchini, bananas, and vanilla.
Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.
Do not over mix.
Fold in walnuts.
Divide batter evenly between loaf pans.
Sprinkle loaves with raw sugar. (optional)
Bake in preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the loaf pans for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing.
Allow to cool completely.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

This Zucchini-Banana Bread recipe will make:

2 standard loaves [as in recipe directions]
1 standard loaf + 2 small loaves
5 small loaves
24 standard muffins
1 standard loaf + 12 standard muffins
12 jumbo muffins

… or any combination that makes you happy. You get the idea.

Just be sure to adjust cooking times to compensate for different-sized pans.

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Zucchini-Banana Bread Recipe - Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist Zucchini - Banana Bread is the best of both worlds! | The Good Hearted Woman

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon}

September 2 By Renée 7 Comments

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.

We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes were saying, “we are definitely going to learn how to make these!”

The hardest part about making banana lumpia is buying the lumpia wrappers. You can find them in the refrigerated section of just about any Asian market, and in many supermarkets as well.

OK, the hardest part isn’t really buying the lumpia (or spring roll) wrappers so much as it is pulling them apart. They are rice-paper thin, and take a delicate touch. The brand of wrappers I’m using here are, by far, the most resilient and easiest to separate of those I have tried over the years, plus they are square, which makes the rolling that much easier. There is a downside to this brand though: the outcome is a little heavier, and less crisp than some of the more delicate brands. The best method I have found for separating sticky wrappers is to peel them back slowly, the same way you might pull a label off a jar when you are trying to get it off in one piece. (Some people suggest steaming them to soften them before using, but I haven’t tried that method yet.)

Lumpia, banana and otherwise, is traditionally deep-fried, but I’m not big into deep-frying. If you want to deep fry them, go for it; you will get that golden brown color all the way around. However, after making this a number of times, I find that pan-frying works very well, and I don’t have all that deep frying mess to clean up afterwards.

You can serve them as is, but a dip or two in some Caramel Sauce will take them to a whole ‘nother level. Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

Banana Lumpia

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time10 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

Bananas
Lumpia Spring Roll Wrappers
Raw sugar or brown sugar
Peanut oil for frying see note

Optional:

Caramel Sauce

Instructions

Cut a banana down the middle lengthwise.
Roll the banana half in raw sugar. (If you are using the super-sweet baby bananas, you can probably skip this step.)
Wrap prepared banana half in a lumpia wrapper. You can do this "burrito-style,' or leave the ends open.
Pour a scant 1/4 inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F. (A drop of water should sizzle when dropped in the pan.)
Carefully lay wrapped banana halves seam down in the pan. Do not crowd.
Fry on one side until golden, and then flip and repeat on the other side.
Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, alone or with caramel for dipping. (They are also good hours later - they just aren't as crispy.)

Notes

BANANAS: Use sweet baby bananas if you can find them, but regular bananas will work just fine.
OIL: I sometimes use unrefined coconut oil instead of peanut oil because I like the flavor it imparts to the lumpia; however, if you use it, use extreme caution due to its low smoke point, and definitely do not use unrefined coconut oil for deep frying.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

One last tip: If you find this recipe in the middle of the night, or live in a place where fresh lumpia wrappers aren’t just around the corner at your local Asian market, you can use flour tortillas. I know this because I have made them in the middle of the night, and while the tortilla wrapper makes for an entirely different texture and flavor (and probably a different, more culturally appropriate name) it will definitely satisfy a late night sweet tooth.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

August 4 By Renée 13 Comments

Delicate tapioca combines with banana and coconut cream to create a delightfully sweet finish in this Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}.

We first experienced Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (or Chè Chuối; pronounced “chair chewy”) while dining at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu. The delicate tapioca combined with banana and coconut cream created a delightfully sweet finish to a delicious and thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Mr. B and I paid careful attention to every dish we enjoyed in Hawaii, and when we returned home from our 10-day trip, we had a long list of recipes we wanted to recreate. Banana Tapioca Pudding, topped with velvety coconut cream, was second on our list. (First on the list? Those amazing Kahuku Shrimp!)

After a little research (and some trial and error), I’ve come up with a good reproduction of the original, albeit with a few significant alterations:

The version we enjoyed in Honolulu included Hawaiian Apple Bananas, which are difficult to find here in the PNW. This recipe calls for regular bananas, but if you have access to Apple Bananas, by all means use them instead. (Baby bananas can also be used.)
I believe that dessert we enjoyed in Hawaii had a thin layer of sweet rice between the tapioca and the coconut cream, but I chose to leave this out to simplify the process; however, it does add an additional, very pleasing textural element, so if you want to include the extra step, it might be worth the effort to you.
I’ve also added a little toasted coconut, because it adds a lovely sweet crunch, and …. oh, who am I trying to impress? I just love toasted coconut!

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

Inspired by a dessert served at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings: servings

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

3 cups water
1/3 cup small tapioca pearls
4 medium bananas
1 – 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 Tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

Finely chopped peanuts or cashews
Toasted coconut See below
Mint leaves

Instructions

Preparing Coconut Cream & Milk: (This sounds WAY more complicated than it really is.)

You will need 3 small bowls for this. In the end, you will have one bowl of coconut milk with a little coconut cream in it for adding directly to the pudding, one bowl of coconut cream with a little coconut milk in it for topping the finished tapioca mixture, and one empty bowl. Proceed as follows:
Open the can of coconut milk. (DO NOT shake the can before opening.)
Bowl #1 - Pour out the thin coconut milk/liquid from the can into this bowl.
Bowl #2 - Scrape the coconut cream from the can into this bowl.
Bowl #3 - Measure out 1/2 cup coconut milk from Bowl #1 and put it in this empty bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream from Bowl # 2 and set aside.
Add the remaining coconut milk from Bowl #1 to the remaining coconut cream in Bowl #2. Stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. (Bowl #1 should now be empty.)

Prepare Pudding:

Cut bananas into ¾-1 inch pieces. Set aside.
In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tapioca and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tapioca nearly cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not overcook: at this point, the tapioca should be thick, and individual pearls should be clear on the outside, and have a very small dot of white in the middle.
Add the salt and the coconut milk mixture from Bowl #3 and to the tapioca stir to combine.
Increase heat to medium. When the tapioca mixture begins to simmer, add the banana pieces and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for until the bananas are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in vanilla. Add sugar one or two teaspoons at a time, tasting between additions, until it is sweetened to your tastes.

Toasted Coconut:

To toast coconut, place ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut in a small ungreased non-stick pan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until coconut is lightly browned. Immediately remove from pan and cool on paper towels.

To Serve:

Distribute individual servings of banana-tapioca mixture into small bowls. Pour a thin layer of prepared coconut cream (from Bowl #2) over the top of each serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut, and mint leaves. Serve warm.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Note: If you want your garnishes to sit up on top of the coconut cream (instead of sinking into it), allow everything to cool a bit before you finish placing the toasted coconut, etc.

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie {Recipe}

July 14 By Renée 10 Comments

Yesterday, I told you all about my new sun-brella, so today I thought I would share an umbrella of a different kind! One of the things I loved most about our Hawaiian holiday was all the fresh fruit, and this island-inspired smoothie is deliciously refreshing, no matter where you are.

This recipe makes enough for at least 4 servings.

5 from 1 vote

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Beverage

Servings: servings

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
2 mangoes peeled, seeded and cubed
1/2 ripe banana frozen
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
2-3 tablespoons sugar to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Beginning with pineapple juice, layer ingredients in blender in order. Puree until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses, and garnish with fresh mint (and a little umbrella if you want to get fancy).

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Tip: When your bananas get a little too ripe, peel them and put them in the freezer. Great for just about any smoothie, they both add flavor and cut down on the need for additional sweeteners.

Perfectly Dreamy, Rich and Creamy Banana Bread

May 2 By Renée 2 Comments

For the perfect loaf, I started with my mom’s recipe (Mom made amazing banana bread when I was little!) and made a few additions, resulting in (what I believe is) the perfect loaf of banana bread. You’re welcome.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they don’t bite.

I have an amazing blender in my kitchen (it’s a Blendtec), and it can do just about everything that you can possibly imagine a blender might do and a few things you’d probably never think of. I mostly use it to make soups, sauces, hummus, and smoothies: my kids favorite is a frozen concoction straight out of the blender’s manufacture-produced cookbook that’s made with Tang and tastes just like a Creamsicle. Anyway, a year or so ago, I had a couple of very ripe bananas and not a lot of time, and I remembered seeing a recipe for banana bread in the blender cookbook, so I decided to give it a whirl. (See what I did there?)

Once again – Blendtec, I (heart) you and you’re awesome – BUT your banana bread sucks. Even with a couple of educated tweaks, it was flat, listless, and so dense I could have sliced it for biscotti. In fact, now that I think of it, that is exactly what I should have done, because it was definitely not making the cut as a banana bread. The blender simply does not allow those little chucks of yumminess to survive and everything gets too smooth and liquidy – all those little molecules just get too densely packed. So that was the first and last time I will cheat in the banana bread department – I all old school now.

For the perfect loaf, I started with my mom's recipe and made a few additions, resulting in what I believe is the perfect loaf of banana bread.

Mama's Perfect Banana Bread

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Quick Bread

Servings:

Author: Renée ♥

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest this is optional, but I like it
1 cup mashed bananas make sure not to mash them too much!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick coating, or grease with butter.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon juice and mix well.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
With mixer on low, add half of the sour cream and half of the mashed bananas.
Stir in flour mixture.
Fold in the sour cream, walnuts, lemon zest and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool loaf for 10 minutes before removing from pan, and then allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

These tender, delicious Blueberry Banana Muffins are naturally low in fat, high in flavor, and bursting with fresh blueberries!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

A Truly Moist, Delicious Blueberry Muffin that Just Happens to Be Low Fat

What is Demerara sugar?

More popular Raw and Less Refined Sugars Used in Cooking

Post Updated October 16, 2020 (Originally published January 11, 2014)

Naturally Lowfat Blueberry Banana Muffins

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

Berries & Topping

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

DID YOU KNOW?

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

These delicious Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars will give them something hearty and healthy to start their day – no matter how fast they have to run for the bus!

7:54 a.m. – The typical time that our little Princess rolls her fanny out of bed to get ready for school.

8:03 a.m. – The time that the bus rolls up at the corner to carry the aforementioned Princess off to school. (It used to be 6:50 a.m.: things are better now.)

Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Equipment

Ingredients

Optional Breakfast Bar Add-ins

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

Is it Zucchiana Bread? Banini Bread? Whatever you want to call it, this amazingly moist Zucchini-Banana Bread is the best of both worlds!

Zucchini Banana Bread

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.

Banana Lumpia

Ingredients

Optional:

Instructions

Notes

Delicate tapioca combines with banana and coconut cream to create a delightfully sweet finish in this Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

Ingredients

Garnish:

Instructions

Preparing Coconut Cream & Milk: (This sounds WAY more complicated than it really is.)

Prepare Pudding:

Toasted Coconut:

To Serve:

Mango Pina Colada Smoothie

Ingredients

Instructions

For the perfect loaf, I started with my mom’s recipe (Mom made amazing banana bread when I was little!) and made a few additions, resulting in (what I believe is) the perfect loaf of banana bread. You’re welcome.

Mama's Perfect Banana Bread

Ingredients

Instructions

**A Truly Moist, Delicious Blueberry Muffin that Just Happens to Be Low Fat**

**What is Demerara sugar?**

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. ? Be sure to PIN this post!

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!