When you have leftover bananas make blueberry oat banana bread.
Why is it no matter how many bananas you buy, you always have a few left over that just aren’t appealing?
I think that everyone really enjoys a good banana, and unfortunately, that window of opportunity for that really good banana is only two days tops. When you get down to it, it’s really only a day, but there is an acceptable range when it’s not really perfect but still enjoyable.
But then you hit that range when they’ve sugar up a bit too much and gotten just a little soft….sigh, and so there they sit until they turn brown and you toss them. I know what you’re saying, some of you out there are going to tell me that’s when they’re the best. Nope, not for me, not even in cereal…sigh
But not to worry you do have a very good option because everyone love’s Banana Bread!
So don’t throw out those over-ripe banana’s instead take your old brown over ripe banana’s and take them out of their peels and wrap them in plastic wrap, and freeze them in a ziplock bag until you have enough bananas and enough time to make banana bread because they are perfect for baking!
I’ve made many versions of Banana Bread throughout my life, but my favorite recipe comes from the first female TV chef that I had a crush on (even before Giada) and that, of course, would be Nigella Lawson a true Domestic Goddess!
There is just something so sensual about the way she enjoys food, especially the segment at the very end when she’s sneaking something out of the fridge as a late night snack. You can see from her expressions that she adores each tempting mouthful of her most recent creation.
So when I say that I’ve got a good banana bread recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson, you can believe its good! I did do a little tweaking with this version adding some oats and dried blueberries, I enjoyed the texture the oats gave, but will stick with raisins, the blueberries just weren’t as satisfying in the banana bread. But do try the recipe, no matter what you add, you’ll be glad you did!
You might also like my Peaches and Cream Breakfast Cake.
Blueberry Oat Banana Bread with Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup of golden raisins dried blueberries or cranberries
- 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ oats
- 1 tbsp raw sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup very ripe bananas mashed
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- butter and flour a 9″ loaf pan
- preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- place the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and combine well with either your hands or a wooden spoon
- In a large bowl or your mixer place the sugar and melted butter and mix well, add the eggs one at a time, then add the mashed banana’s
- with your wooden spoon mix in the raisins, oats, nuts and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture a third at a time mixing well each time.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour
- Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the raw sugar. This is optional and can be left out. The raw sugar adds a nice touch to the cake but will not detract from the recipe if you don’t have this on hand.
- When the bread is ready a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean there may be a little clinging to it, just not gooey batter
- Place the pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes and then pop it out of the pan and its ready to enjoy.
Notes
If your a chocolate fan, try adding some chocolate chips if you like, chocolate seems a natural pairing with banana’s, just don’t get carried away ½ cup should be plenty.
Irs
How come is a banana cake when it has 1 1/2 cup flour and only 1/2 cup of oats? Sorry , with all do respect, I don’t think that is an oat banana cake. It should be banana cake with some oats. Now! If you omit the flour! then you could call it as such.
Chef Dennis Littley
it’s not a banana cake. Its blueberry oat banana bread.
Donna
The best banana recipe!
Donna
Delicious!
Maureen
Please help me understand how the raw sugar effects this recipe. If I don’t have it, will it change it much?
Chef Dennis Littley
The raw sugar is chunkier and can be seen and tasted and is only used on the top of the loaf as a garnish. You don’t have to use it to make this recipe.
Elies Lie
Hai Chef Dennis 😊
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Ah, right… we always have leftover brorn and mushy banana in the kitchen
I always freeze my banana for smoothie but never try to freeze overripe banana for banan bread
Great idea 👍🏻
Raisin, oats, walnut and blueberry in banana bread for breakfast
Count me in! 😊💜
Chef Dennis Littley
You are very welcome Elies, I’m happy to hear you now have another way to use your leftover banana’s.
Sybil
I had 3 bananas that were perfectly ripe, so I made your recipe this afternoon, but with only 1 tablespoon of sugar (as I don’t care for all that sugar in cakes). I soaked the oats in the banana mixture for an hour first to give them time to soften. I added pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and a little ginger for taste, in addition to the vanilla extract. The cake came out looking wonderful. We tried it tonight and it was perfect, not too moist but not too dry either, perfectly cooked, and not overly sweet. I will do it again.
Chef D
thanks for letting me know, it sounds like you have a winner!