I was hosting a table at an expo event a few weeks ago, and we may have overestimated the number of people attending. I bought 80 bananas to give out as healthy snacks. Four hours later, I came home with 78 bananas.
I gave a bunch away to friends and family, but needless to say, I still had a considerable number left over to cook with. So last weekend, I experimented with a bunch of different banana bread recipes. This coconut banana bread was my favorite.
Plus, it’s got a better balance of ingredients than many other recipes. I mean, let’s face it – baked goods are never going to be super healthy, but there are always ways you can make better choices that still taste delicious. This is a perfect example. It uses whole wheat flour instead of white flour, plus whole grain oats, to give you extra fiber and minerals. And I’ve cut back on the sugar a bit compared to similar recipes.
I got about 12 banana bread squares out of this recipe – 4 rows cut into 3 squares each (about 3×3 inches per square). Keep in mind, if you cut bigger pieces the nutrition facts will be a bit higher.
Enjoy!
A delicious coconut banana bread is the perfect way to start your morning.
- 3 bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix bananas, coconut milk, vanilla, egg, oil, and sugar together in a large bowl until well blended.
- Add whole wheat pastry flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and shredded coconut. Mix until just blended – do not over mix.
- Coat a 13x9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour batter into dish.
- Cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
Nutrition analysis (per serving):
183 calories, 7 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams sugar, 3 grams fiber, 3 grams protein
Notes:
-If you can find unsweetened shredded coconut, it’s an even healthier choice!
-If you cut the squares smaller – 5 rows of 3 each, giving you 15 servings – each serving will be 150 calories, 6 grams of fat, 21 grams carbohydrate, 10 grams sugar, 2 grams fiber, and 3 grams protein
Chrissy Carroll
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emily m. says
May 19, 2014 at 8:02 pmThis photography is amazing! Go Chrissy! We’re definitely making these once the oven is fixed.
Chrissy Carroll says
May 21, 2014 at 6:56 pmThanks Emily! 🙂 I’ve been working on my food photo skills and can’t wait to share more recipes this summer!