Nothin’ says lovin’ like something from the oven, am I right? Having a kid in the house, generally means having a lot of bananas in the house. Every now and then one gets a little too spotty for us.  This healthy banana bread makes a pretty regular appearance in our oven.

The holidays for me always involves a lot of baking.  I can’t help myself. I can keep all meals to my normal healthy eating standards, but I love baking.  On any given day, I may not feel like cooking dinner but am in the mood to bake something delicious. There is something so comforting about it, but finding healthier recipes for baked goods can be a little challenging.

Healthy Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of the best comfort foods, in my opinion.  This is one of my absolute favorite baking recipes because is it is nearly guilt free and is adaptable for gluten free baking. It took me a long time to figure out a recipe I love as far as banana bread goes, but this one really hits the spot.  Even Mr Cold Texan, who really could care less about sweets, will eat this one. That says a lot to me.

I think what really pushes this recipe over the top for me is the dark chocolate.  It makes me feel like I’m being naughty but I am a firm believer in the health benefits of dark chocolate, so make sure you don’t skip it!!

To make this healthy banana bread, you will need:

• 2 Ripe Bananas
• 1/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Large Egg
• 1.5 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour (or your favorite Gluten Free all purpose flour)
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Oats (Gluten free if necessary)
• 3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 2-6×3 Loaf Pans

I know the loaf pans are not the most common size one might see for baking sweet breads, BUT I like this size because it makes it a nice size for gift giving. Or, if you’re like me and have absolutely no willpower when it comes to baked goodies, then it’s a good size to keep from over indulging.  Instructions for a large pan size are below in the instructions.

Instructions:

In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside. If you don’t want to use all purpose flour or wheat flour, I found that almond flour is a great gluten free option but you may find you need an extra egg in there too.
In a larger bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until they’re relatively smooth, then mix in the greek yogurt and the egg. Once those are well combined, add in the brown sugar and vanilla and mix again.

Add the flour mixture into the banana mixture, in 2 parts. Mix until all the flour is absorbed.
Fold in the oats and chocolate.
Divide the batter evenly between 2 prepared baking pans. Bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

***If you want to use a bigger pan, like a 9×5 pan, bake at the same temperature for 50-60 minutes.  Around 45 minutes you may want to tent with foil so the top doesn’t burn.  Bake until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

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This healthy banana bread recipe freezes very well! Just wrap it up so that no air can get to it and it’ll keep for 3-4 months in the freezer…but I doubt you’ll be able to resist it in there that long! If you try this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think of it.  I know you’ll love it as much as we do!

You may also enjoy:

Garden Omelette Crustless Mini Quiches

Healthy Chunky Monkey Muffins