My wife and I both enjoy good hearty breads, but most recipes for Banana breads online just don’t have that heartiness. So, here’s a recipe for those who enjoy hearty breads that are at the same time light and have a rich flavor. This recipe makes a very good and relatively dense bread, but one that is not very sweet. Consider adding dried cranberries for an added tartness. If you are looking for a sweeter bread, increase sugar to 2/3 cup and up to 1 cup, if using honey, maple syrup, or molasses. This bread is made with Kefir, which is what gives it its rise. It may seem like the amount of baking soda is too great, but do not fear, acids in Kefir and baking soda will react with each other, give it that needed rise and neutralize each other at the end.

  • Yield: 1 bread loaf
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 1 1/2 hours
  • Active: 30 minutes

Ingredients (14)

  • 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 2/3 Cup Fine Oat Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Regular Rolled Oats
  • 2 Tsp. All-Natural Baking Powder
  • 2 Tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/4 Tsp. Sea Salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1/4 Tsp. Allspice
  • 1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips, try Dark Chocolate Chips for richer flavor
  • 1/2 Cup Pure Cane Sugar, feel free to try Honey and Molasses
  • 1/3 to 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts
  • 2/3 Cup Kefir, preferably homemade
  • 3 Very Ripe Bananas

Instructions

  1. Combine all Dry ingredients together, along with chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. This recipe is quick to make, so make sure that the oven is almost ready when you begin to add wet ingredients.
  2. If you bananas are too ripe to be eaten, great! They will make your bread great. Crush bananas into a creamy mass and begin stirring the mass into dry ingredients. Mix well, so that the consistency of the mixture is quite uniform.
  3. Once the oven is ready, add Kefir to the mixture and again stir well to combine. You may need to use a little less or more, depending on the amount of liquid your bananas produce. Baking soda will begin to react with the acid in Kefir right away, so work fast.
  4. Transfer the mix into a greased baking pan, a silicone mold, or a non-stick baking pan. For looks toss some rolled oats on top of the bread once it is leveled in the pan.
  5. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake on the middle rack for about 50 to 55 minutes. Test it with a toothpick towards the end of cooking. Let it cool, cut and enjoy.