I love this banana bread. So much so that I woke up at 5 am this morning to cut myself a thick slice before falling back to sleep. This bread is sweetened naturally, only the bananas and a scant 1/3 cup of agave nectar are added to the batter for sweetness. But I find the amount to be perfect, especially if you find most desserts too sugary like myself. I am a reading a delightful novel called the Hummingbird's Daughter, which is set in central and northern Mexico, and agave nectar has been mentioned numerous times.
Over the past year, I've fallen in love with agave nectar. First introduced to me at Watercourse in Denver, agave nectar has been finding its way into more and more of my recipes. The agave plant is native to Mexico, and is a delightful substitute for honey and granulated sugar. Agave nectar is much sweeter than cane sugar, allowing you to use significantly less in drinks or recipes. Additionally, the nectar falls much lower on the gylcemic index, which means agave is much easier for your body to process. Some people prefer the light variety of agave nectar with its fairly neutral and mild flavor but I personally prefer the amber variety due to its caramel color and taste.
Over the past year, I've fallen in love with agave nectar. First introduced to me at Watercourse in Denver, agave nectar has been finding its way into more and more of my recipes. The agave plant is native to Mexico, and is a delightful substitute for honey and granulated sugar. Agave nectar is much sweeter than cane sugar, allowing you to use significantly less in drinks or recipes. Additionally, the nectar falls much lower on the gylcemic index, which means agave is much easier for your body to process. Some people prefer the light variety of agave nectar with its fairly neutral and mild flavor but I personally prefer the amber variety due to its caramel color and taste.
In this recipe, I used the amber variety, but feel free to experiment with light agave nectar if you'd like. This banana bread is based loosely off another Cooks Illustrated recipe, one that is undeniably delicious but not entirely healthy. I replaced the all purpose flour with whole wheat, the sugar with agave nectar and the butter with canola oil. I also added some of my favorite banana bread spices because cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg make me sing! So give agave a try...and feel free to substitute honey if its all that you have.
Naturally Sweetened Banana Bread
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 very ripe, soft and darkly speckled bananas, mashed well (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan (I used an 8x4)
2. Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together; set aside.
3. Mix the bananas, yogurt, nectar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl . Lightly fold the banana ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and lumpy.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 55 minutes)
5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 very ripe, soft and darkly speckled bananas, mashed well (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan (I used an 8x4)
2. Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together; set aside.
3. Mix the bananas, yogurt, nectar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl . Lightly fold the banana ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and lumpy.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 55 minutes)
5. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
RSS Feed
