Banana Bread: It Counts as a Serving of Fruit, Right?

We love bananas in our house and put them on everything. But I get really excited when my bananas start to turn – the blacker and mushier they get the sweeter they become – because then they’re perfect to make Banana Bread. And I’m pretty sure Banana Bread is a serving of fruit, right? So eat it guilt free 😉 If your family is anything like mine, about half way through the baking process when the heady scent of banana bread starts wafting through the house, they’ll start pacing outside the oven like a pack hungry wolves. Just don’t let them dig into it until it cools or they’ll burn their paws. Bon Appetit!

Banana Bread Recipe:

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup mashed (with a fork) overripe bananas
1 cup plain yogurt or low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or white flour
(Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse on Food Network)

*Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips, walnuts, or raisins. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar while cooling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan (or three mini-loaf pans, adjust cooking time). Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl or electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Stir in mashed bananas, plain yogurt or sour cream, and vanilla until blended. Add salt, baking soda and flour until flour disappears. *Fold in chocolate chips, nut or raisins.
Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until it’s lightly browned and tooth pick comes out clean. Let pan cool on wire rack before removing the bread.

Eat it plain or if you want to make an easy fancy dessert, top with Vanilla or Dulce de Leche ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Yum!