My Banana Flax Bread is packed with nutritious whole grains, flaxseed and Greek yogurt. When it’s baking in the oven, it will make your whole house smell absolutely delicious!
Banana bread is the ultimate fall comfort food. When the weather starts to get cooler, I often crave warm, comforting foods, and banana bread definitely fits the bill.
We buy a lot of bananas in my house. When they get a little past their prime and start to turn brown, I either freeze them for smoothies or make banana bread. And when it comes to making banana bread, the browner the better. Brown bananas will be softer and sweeter- perfect for a delicious and moist final product.
When I heard that this month’s Recipe Redux theme was Fantastic Freezer Meals, I knew I had to make my Banana Flax Bread. Quick breads like banana bread are perfect for freezing. When I get in a baking mood, I often bake large batches of cakes, cookies, muffins, etc. and then freeze them. This way you always have a convenient, heat-and-eat breakfast or snack when you want one.
You have a few options for freezing when it comes to my banana bread. You can:
– Wrap and freeze a whole loaf
– Slice it and then wrap and freeze the individual slices
– Bake it in a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan and then freeze the individual muffins
I usually freeze the bread in slices or muffins so that I can defrost individual portions when I want a quick, nutritious breakfast or snack. Muffins are a great option for kids. My toddler loves muffins and will pretty much try anything if it’s baked into one. You can serve them plain or with a little almond butter, peanut butter or Greek yogurt for a boost of protein.
My Banana Flax Bread is packed with flavor as well as nutrients. I use a mixture of white whole wheat and all-purpose flour to incorporate healthy whole grains. White whole wheat flour has all of the nutritional benefits of whole wheat flour with a lighter texture and milder flavor. It’s great to use in baked recipes like this one. Ground flaxseed provides plenty of brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids and Greek yogurt bumps up the protein and calcium. I like to add heart healthy nuts like pecans or walnuts to my banana bread but if you have an allergy or are just not a fan of nuts, you can leave them out or substitute dark chocolate chips. This recipe is featured in my cookbook, Natural Pregnancy Cookbook.
Banana Flax Bread
My Banana Flax Bread is packed with nutritious whole grains, flaxseed and Greek yogurt. When it’s baking in the oven, it will make your whole house smell absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe banana (3-4 bananas)
- 1/3 cup reduced fat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup safflower or other neutral-flavored oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the bananas, yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the sugar and continue to mix until combined.
- Whisk the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and beat until just combined (do not over-mix). Stir the nuts into the batter.
- Pour the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the bread and cool completely on wire rack.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Banana Flax Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 224
Calories from Fat 95
% Daily Value*
Fat 10.5g16%
Saturated Fat 1.2g8%
Sodium 225mg10%
Carbohydrates 28.8g10%
Fiber 3.5g15%
Protein 4.8g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Check out these links to see the delicious dishes my fellow Recipe Reduxers are freezing this fall!
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I haven't made bread in the longest time, but this looks super good! 😀 I thinkkk my friend might actually have all of these ingredients back at her apartment, so I may have to try making this when I go over to visit! :]
Thanks Farrah! I'm sure you can't wait to get settled in your own place 🙂
What a gorgeous loaf of banana bread – love the flax seeds in yours!
Thanks Jeanette!
i love banana bread as well..and always looking for new ideas!!! love the addition of flax.
Thanks so much Dixya 🙂
What a delicious and handsome banana bread, Sonali! And look at its color – it looks like banana pumpkin bread! Gorgeous! And please, remember: never ever nuts could be optional; that's a must:)
Haha, thanks Ben, I'm totally with you on the nuts 🙂
I love how much flax is used in this recipe! I wouldn't mind having a freezer full of banana bread 🙂
Thanks Crissy, I'm glad you appreciate the flax 😉
Banana bread most certainly is one of the best comfort foods! Your recipe and photos are gorgeous. I can't wait to try this and check out the new cookbook!!
Thanks friend 🙂
Congratulations on your cookbook! Your banana bread looks amazing!
Thank you Cindy!
Yum!! I need to make some banana bread again!
Thanks Sarah!
one healthy looking bread! love the addition of flax!
Thank you!
great recipe Sonali and I'm so excited for you about you upcoming cookbook xoxo
Thank you my dear friend!
Nothing like a home baked loaf and this looks like a beauty….and so heathy (which isn't often the case with quick breads!)
Thanks Katie, so glad you like it!
Banana Bread will forever be one of my favorites. I love the addition of the flax in this. This is such a great freezer friendly meal
Thanks for stopping by Allie!
Love the idea of freezer friendly bread! I always think of dinner items but never breakfast! Definitely saving this as a must make.
Thanks so much Alex! I hope you like it 🙂
Mmmm banana bread is the best!
Is there a way to convert this to a Gluten-free version?
Fabulous bread Dr. Ruder!
I scored a giant bag of flax seed from my Hungarian daughter-in-law, so scrambled for a flax bread recipe and found…YOURS! Easy to make, smells fabulous as promised, and after laps in the pool, my dietitian (RD) wife could NOT stop eating it!
I’m an ER nurse (RN) and agree with you 100% on the relationship between food and health. I can’t wait to explore all your recipes now. Thanks for being a great blogger and Foodie Physician! God Bless,
Stu RN
Thanks for your comment, Stu and so great to “meet” you! I’m so happy to hear that you and your wife enjoyed the recipe! I hope you get to try out lots of my recipes. Happy eating! 🙂
kids loved it and begged me to make it again!
So glad to hear they loved it! Thanks for your comment!
I LOVE this recipe!!! I came across it about a year ago and have been making it ever since. I have given it to friends without telling them it’s the healthy version and they have said it’s the best Banana bread they’ve ever had! I do tweak the recipe slightly for my taste. I use almost a cup of wheat and almost a cup of white flower. It sounds crazy but the original is too moist for me. Great recipe! Thank you for sharing it!
Thanks for your comment, Savanna! I’m so happy you love the recipe!
Hello. I am from the uk and would love to try this recipe . Can you please tell me which oil would be best to use as I have not heard of the one you have used in your recipe.
Thank you.
Michelle
Hi Michelle! Yes, you can use vegetable or canola oil. I just wouldn’t recommend olive oil because of the strong flavor. Thanks for stopping by!