Healthy Banana Bread with Blueberries

In my house, spotted brown bananas mean that it's banana bread time. I have made endless variations through the years, but this healthy banana bread with blueberries is by far my favourite. It's easy and healthy, and tastes amazing. Wholemeal banana bread is satiating and rich in fiber, and the bananas keep the bread moist and delicious.

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The best banana bread recipe

This easy banana bread recipe is my absolute favourite. I love a good healthy recipe with common household ingredients. Here's why I think this banana bread is the best:

• It's healthy without having any strange or hard to find ingredients.
• Using ripened or spotty bananas is a great way to reduce food waste.
• It's easy to make dairy free, gluten free and allergy friendly.
• Quick and easy recipe which means you can eat the banana bread faster.
• Banana bread with blueberries is way more interesting than plain banana bread. A great flavour combination and a perfectly moist bread.

Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this delicious banana bread with blueberries:

• Olive oil or vegetable oil. Use a good quality one, or your banana bread might end up with a subtle frying oil flavour.
• Honey. You can also use agave syrup as a vegan alternative.
• Eggs - preferably medium or large.
• Ripe bananas. I'm talking proper ripe, soft bananas with plenty of brown spots all over.
• Whole wheat flour. You can use any flour, but this is my personal favourite.
• Fresh blueberries.
• Milk of choice. Cow's milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk - pick your favourite!
• Bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda. Not to be confused with baking powder.
• Vanilla essence or extract - for flavour. Can be omitted.
• Cinnamon is great in any banana bread, but perfect with blueberries.
• Salt - to bring out more of the lovely banana bread flavour.

How to make banana bread with blueberries

Preheat the oven to 170°C / 160°C fan oven / 340° F. Butter the inside of a loaf tin and set it to the side.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the honey and vegetable oil together until combined. Add the eggs and whisk well, until the mixture is fluffy. Mash the bananas in a bowl using a fork, then add the milk and mashed bananas to the mixing bowl. Add the salt, vanilla and baking soda, and whisk them together. Then, stir in the flour. Be careful not to over whisk it; it's okay if there are some lumps.

Stir in the blueberries, and pour the batter into the loaf tin. Add a few blueberries on top. Bake the banana and blueberry bread in the oven for about 60-70 minutes. To check if it's done, you can place a toothpick or skewer into the middle of the loaf. The bread is done if it comes out clean.

Leave the bread to cool in the loaf tin for 10 minutes, then move it to a cooling rack to finish cooling down. Serve the banana bread while still warm, or allow it to completely cool down.

Gluten free banana bread

This recipe can easily be made gluten free by replacing the wholemeal flour with any gluten free flour. Oat flour and almost flour are both good options. I use this flour for most of my gluten free baking. I also prefer to make sugar free banana bread. The bread still ends up being sweet due to the bananas and honey, without using refined sugar.

Turn them into muffins

You can use this recipe to make banana bread muffins as well. Simply make the bread dough as instructed, then add the mixture to muffin cases or a muffin tray instead of the loaf tin. Cook muffins for about 15 minutes in the oven, until they turn golden. Insert a skewer or cocktail stick into the middle of the muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. If not, bake them for another 5 minutes and check again.

Storing leftovers

You can store leftover banana bread in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.

Banana bread is a great way to use up any ripened bananas before they go off. I love to make a batch whenever I have leftover bananas, and freeze the banana bread for when I feel like a quick snack. You can also freeze the bread in slices, which makes it very easy to defrost it in portion sizes.

Other tasty treats

• Broccoli and cheese balls
• Norwegian apple cake (eplekake)
• Caramelised oven baked bananas
• Mini lamb meatballs
• Greek yogurt pancakes
• Peanut butter oatmeal cookies