Wholegrain Caramelized-Banana Bread

Banana bread is probably one those things which everyone bakes all the time. Each one following a time-tested recipe of her own which yields a lovely loaf every time. My favorite recipe is an adaption of Tarla Dalal's Banana Pecan Walnut Muffin Cake, an eggless whole wheat banana muffin recipe with layers of flavors added by the addition of nuts and raisins. Adding cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the basic batter always takes the bread up a notch so I unfailingly do it every time.

But the other day when I set off to bake my regular banana bread, I realized that our stock of chocolate as well as that of dry fruits needed a refill. A search for an alternate recipe led me to a series in The Kitchn on the hows and don'ts about banana bread. And thus was born this new wholegrain caramelized banana bread recipe.


At first I was a little apprehensive about the outcome. I had never baked anything with finger millet flour(ragi) before and wasn't sure if my three and a half year old son would like the nutty flavor it rendered. But all my apprehensions vanished next day when he too gave the bread a thumbs up. Without any fuss, he swept clean his breakfast of banana bread and jam and even asked for a slice in the evening. That is when  I knew that I had to share the recipe with you right away...

So here's my recipe of a healthy and wholesome banana bread made without eggs or butter... 

Wholegrain Caramelized Banana Bread

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Prep time: 1 hour                                 Cook time: 1 hour                              Total time: 2 hours
Yield: 9×5 inch loaf

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup caramelized banana (I used 4 medium sized over-ripened bananas + 2 tablespoons of honey)
• ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used homemade yogurt)
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon peanut butter

   Dry ingredients

• ⅔ cup whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup oats
• ⅓ cup finger millet(ragi)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 teaspoon flax seed

Cooking Directions

1. First caramelize the over-ripened bananas. For this, preheat the oven to 325° F. Coat the peeled bananas with 1½ to 2 tablespoons of honey and put them in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake the honey-coated bananas in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until they look caramelized.
2. Transfer the caramelized bananas into the mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork.
3. Add honey, ⅓ cup yogurt and sugar to the mashed bananas. Mix well. Then add the peanut butter to the mixture.
4. Add all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
5. Now gently incorporate the dry ingredient mixture into the mashed banana mixture taking care  not to over-mix the batter. 
6. Fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons of yogurt and spoon the batter into a well greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Let the batter rest on the counter top for 10 minutes or so. (With experience I have learnt that, when baking with whole grain flours, resting the batter always ensures a softer and tastier bread. So if you have the time let the batter rest for a few minutes before baking it. )
7. Meanwhile preheat oven to 360°F
8. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes until the loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan and comes out easily on tilting the pan.
9. Cool completely before slicing.

Like all banana breads, this loaf is freezer friendly. You can slice and freeze the loaf and simply toast the slices before serving....

here are few other recipes that call for over-ripened bananas..

Blueberry Cherry Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bars

Hummingbird Bars

Chocolate Banana Cookies

  

I shall be sharing the recipe at the following parties...