"Everything But the Kitchen Sink" Banana Bread

A Super Customizable Zero-Waste One-Bowl Recipe

If you are interested in an easy, quick breakfast or snack recipe to last you the entire week or have super ripe bananas that you don’t know what to do with, try this recipe out! According to MDPI, 114.08 million metric tons of bananas are wasted each year worldwide. Moreover, throwing away a whole banana is more detrimental to the environment as it takes longer to decompose than just the peels. Since research from Karlstad University in Sweden shows how bananas are the most wasted grocery item, it is important to start reducing banana waste in any way possible.

Banana bread is one of my go-to recipes. The fluffy texture that is the perfect balance between a moist cake and airy bread, the healthy vegan ingredients, the customizable nature, or the one-bowl, easy-to-clean utensils are all why I am attached to this recipe. When I first made banana bread, back in 2014, I used the Hebbars Kitchen Banana Bread recipe. Since then, I’ve altered the recipe slightly, switching ingredients and quantities to match my taste. Finally, I’ve landed on my spin on this banana bread recipe. I hope you enjoy!

---

THE RECIPE: "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" Banana Bread

​Prep Time: 20 mins

​Bake Time: 20-40 mins

Total Time: 40-60 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 super ripe bananas

• ½ cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)

• ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup flavorless oil (or melted unsalted butter)

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp cinnamon powder

• 3-5 tbsp chia seeds (or flax seeds)

• optional milk of choice for reaching consistency

• toppings of choice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Remove the banana peels and create a puree by mashing the bananas in a large bowl with a fork or whisk. Remove any stickers from the banana peels before composting.

2. Mix the coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract into the banana puree until the sugars dissolve. If you do not have maple syrup or coconut sugar in your pantry, you can replace these with ¾ cup of plain sugar, brown sugar, or honey.

3. Sieve all the dry ingredients including all-purpose flour, wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon powder into the bowl. Fold and cut the mixture using a spatula until a thick dough forms.

4. Add the flavorless oil into the bowl and mix.

5. If the dough is still very thick, add a little milk until a thick cake consistency is reached. Be careful not to create too thin of a batter or over-mix the batter.

6. Mix in toppings of your choice. Some of my personal favorite toppings are chia seeds, flax seeds, chocolate chips, crushed pecans/walnuts, and dry fruits.

7. Bake all the dough at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes in a cake or bread tray or bake the dough at 350°F (180°C) for 20-30 minutes in a muffin tray in an oven.

8. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool down.

9. Enjoy the fresh banana bread! Store the bread in an air-tight container in room temperature for it to be fresh for up to 10 days.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Send me pictures of the final product if you decide to follow this recipe!

INSPIRATION:

Hebbars Kitchen Banana Bread:

https://hebbarskitchen.com/eggless-vegan-banana-bread-recipe/

Banana Waste Information: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354259861_Recovery_of_Banana_Waste-Loss_from_Production_and_Processing_A_Contribution_to_a_Circular_Economy

https://www.organicauthority.com/buzz-news/bananas-are-the-biggest-food-waste-culprit-new-study-shows