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Screen Shot 2014 04 09 at 3.41.38 PM
Lifestyle

How To Upgrade Your Banana Bread Recipe

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at Manhattan chapter.

Living at school, I have made countless banana related things because well, I live with four other girls who also happen to love bananas just as much as I do. It’s inevitable that most of them will turn brown before it gets the chance to be eaten. But when this happens, you take advantage by making some good old fashioned banana bread!

There’s just something so comforting about eating the most delicious slice of warm banana bread straight out of the oven. But sometimes, a simple banana bread recipe can get boring and may need some inspiration. Just by adding some nuts or fruit can really put some life into your dying banana bread recipe.

Here are some fun tips that are sure to wow your friends and family:

ALWAYS add cinnamon and nutmeg

Adding 1/4 teaspoon each should do the trick.

Make it peanut butter or Nutella

Replace the butter with peanut butter for some extra protein and healthy yummy goodness. Try this one. 

Add fruit

Try adding blueberries, strawberries or kiwi give it a lot of flavor. Make it a bread pudding.

Final add-ins

Add-ins are like shoes. The shoe makes the outfit, and the final add-ins make the banana bread. Try nuts, chocolate chips, or coconut flakes. Here’s one for inspiration. 

Extract is the secret

Depending on the flavor bread you’re making, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Substitute for healthy ingredients

Replace some of the flour with whole wheat flour or rolled oats (gluten free people?) For every 1 cup of sugar, replace with 1/4 cup honey. Replace every 1 cup butter, with 1 cup applesauce. Try this healthy recipe. 

 

Here are some more classic banana bread recipes, as well as some variations:

1. Great grandma’s banana bread

2. Whole grain chocolate chip banana bread cookies

3. Banana bread cupcakes with peanut butter frosting 

 

 

 

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Alyssa Rosello

Manhattan '15