Ingredients
Scale
- 255 grams (2 1/4 cups) white whole wheat flour (if using red whole wheat flour, do 127 grams whole wheat flour and 144 grams all-purpose flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 114 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (vegan butter also works well!)
- 1/2 vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon banana extract or banana liqueur (optional, but works well if your bananas are not yet super ripe or if you want to add a more sweet banana flavor)
- 3 tablespoons flax meal, hulls sifted out (see note about flax eggs and chicken eggs)
- 90 grams (6 tablespoons) water (in lieu of flax meal and water, you can also use 3 large chicken eggs, room temperature)
- 188 grams whole milk (you can also use 2% milk or oat milk)
- 23 grams (1 1/2 tablespoons) white vinegar
- 40 grams (2 tablespoons) pure maple syrup (optional)
- 313 grams (1 1/4 cups) ripe mashed bananas (about 2-3 large bananas)
- 55 grams (1/2 cup) pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to a true 350°F. An oven thermometer will help you determine where you need to set your oven in order to reach this true temperature.
- Place butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt until just liquefied and allow to cool.
- Add sifted flax meal and water to a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Allow to sit for about ten minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. (Want to learn more about flax eggs? Check out this blog post!)
- Combine milk and vinegar in a small bowl or deli cup. Allow to sit for ten minutes to “sour”. It will curdle and that’s desirable! The more curdling the better!
- Place bananas in a small bowl or deli cup. Use a fork to mash bananas together. The chunkiness level is up to you! (I’m a medium chunky banana girl, myself)
- Sift together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add sugar, butter, pure vanilla extract (or vanilla beans), and banana liqueur (if using) to a medium bowl. Stir together until the mix is fully combined, the extracts are distributed evenly, and the mixture is slightly lighter in color.
- Add flax eggs, soured milk, and maple syrup (if using) to the butter/sugar mixture. Gently whisk together until the ingredients are fully combined. Do not mix too aggressively, as you will cause gluten formation and tough, chewy banana bread.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk together until the ingredients are fully combined. Do not mix too aggressively, as you will cause gluten formation and tough, chewy banana bread. together until fully combined. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl during mixing so that there is no unmixed flour.
- Fold the bananas and nuts (if using) into the batter until evenly distributed. The batter will be very chunky at this point. ❤️
- Spray loaf pan with baking spray and brush the pan to distribute the spray.
- Add the batter to the loaf pan and place into the oven. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown and beautifully domed. Remove from the oven test for doneness: perfect doneness is 210°F.
- Allow the loaf to rest in the muffin pan for 5-7 minutes, then remove immediately to a cooling rack. Allow the banana bread to cool fully before cutting, as the banana flavors will deepen upon resting. (This is a great make-ahead recipe; you can make the day before and get perfect flavor on the second day!)
- Once fully cooled, slice into individual servings and freeze leftovers for up to two months. To reheat: place a slice of banana bread in the microwave for 45-60 seconds on 70% heat. Then, heat at 10-second intervals on 100% power until the desired temperature is reached.