In case you haven’t heard and/or did not see the greeting cards in your local store, today is National Banana Bread Day.
Well, that may be a big deal for some, but, as anyone who reads this blog knows, I bake banana bread more frequently than anything else and I have so many recipes that I’ve lost count of them, because I make a new version almost every time.
I always buy too many bananas and then they get soft and no one wants to eat them so I make banana bread because I can’t bear to throw food away.
And the ironic thing about all this is that I am allergic to bananas, so I can’t eat them OR the bread. I love that fragrance though. Everyone else gets to enjoy the rest.
The version here includes coconut, coconut oil and quick oats, so it’s sweet, even though I’ve cut down on the sugar somewhat. And the oats help make it really tender.
Happy National Banana Bread Day.
Banana Bread with Oats and Coconut
2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread (or shortening)
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 large very ripe bananas, mashed
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch (8-cup) bundt pan. Mix the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the coconut oil, Earth Balance and sugar at medium speed until well blended, about one minute. Add the bananas and blend them in thoroughly. Add the eggs and beat the ingredients well. Add the flour mixture and beat until batter is well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.
Makes one bread, serving 16-18