Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Banana Bread

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Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Banana Bread is a quick and easy recipe for tender banana bread studded with bits of chopped apples and cozy spices for a taste of fall in every bite!

Now that fall is here I want all things apples and pumpkin!  I stocked up on pumpkin puree at the market and I’ve been buying big bundles of apples at the farmer’s market.

Since I knew that Whole Grains Week was coming up I also bought a bag of whole wheat flour.   I don’t use it often but I knew that I could easily bake with it.   I like to bake with graham flour which is a whole wheat flour but this time I bought straight whole grain flour.

I found a recipe using bananas and apples in a bread along with whole wheat flour and I thought that would be perfect.  I think that the whole wheat flour needs natural sweetness to really work in a baked good.  Otherwise it can taste gritty and make whatever you are baking dry.

I realized that the bananas and apples have a lot of moisture in them so the baked goods wouldn’t be dry.  There is also a decent amount of spices in this bread which I thought would make it a good one for fall.

Ingredients:

• whole wheat flour
• baking powder
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• salt
• butter
• brown sugar
• eggs
• vanilla
• plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• bananas
• milk
• apples

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
5. Stir in the Greek yogurt.
6. Mash the banana and mix it into the butter and sugar mixture.
7. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.   Add the milk and stir until well combined.  Mix in the remaining dry ingredients until just incorporated.
8. Fold in the apples.
9. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.   Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Cool for 10 minutes then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This bread smelled wonderful as it baked in the oven.  The sweetness from the bananas and apples against the spiciness of the cinnamon and nutmeg smelled like fall baking in the oven.

I allowed the bread to cool before trying it.   While I enjoyed it plain I thought it was even better with butter on it.  You could also try it with a little apple butter or jam.

What are the best apples to use in this bread?

I like sweet apples in this bread because there isn’t a whole lot of sugar in it.  However, you can put a more tart apple in it if you don’t want it to be overly sweet.

I don’t want to put any refined sugar in this recipe, can I use something besides the brown sugar?

Maple syrup is a good substitute for the sugar in this recipe.  You can also try honey to give it a little bit of sweetness. 

Can I use applesauce in place of the apples?

Yes you can!   If using the applesauce reduce the number of eggs from 2 to 1 but otherwise it will give you the desired apple flavor without all the chunks in the bread.

Can I freeze this bread?

You can freeze this bread after baking.  I like to slice it up, wrap the slices in plastic wrap, then put the slices into zip top freezer bags.  These can be frozen for up to 6 months.

I found that my favorite way to eat this bread was toasted in the morning.   Then I put a small pat of butter on it and smeared it over the top.  It was lightly sweetened, slightly salty, and full of spices.

More Quick Bread Recipes:

• Cherry Almond Quick Bread
• Apple Squash Quick Bread
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
• Spiced Persimmon Bread with Cranberries and Pecans

If you’ve tried my Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Apple Bread or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Banana Bread

This bread is a quick and easy recipe for tender banana bread studded with bits of chopped apples and cozy spices for a taste of fall in every bite!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 slices

Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1/4 c. plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 medium banana mashed
• 1/3 c. milk
• 2 apples finely chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.
• In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar.
• Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well.
• Stir in the Greek yogurt.
• Mash the banana and mix it into the butter and sugar mixture.
• Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.  
• Add in the milk and stir until well combined.  Mix in the remaining dry
  ingredients until just incorporated.
• Add the apples and gently fold them in.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan.   Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
• Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and turn onto a wire rack. Cool completely and then slice.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Amy's Healthy Baking

September is National Rice and National Whole Grains Month. The fourth week of September is National Wild Rice Week. Whole grains are nutritious and are great to make delicious food right from appetizers, salads, breads, and main courses to desserts. In our #FestiveFoodies group we are celebrating the grains this month by sharing our favorite recipes showcasing any grains and Radha of Magical Ingredients   is hosting this event. We are sharing 30 different recipes using whole grains.  Join us in the celebration. 

Monday Whole Grain Recipes

• Italian Basil Fried Rice by Magical Ingredients
• Stuffed Acorn Squash by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Healthy Whole Wheat Apple Banana Bread by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Cherry Almond Multi Grain Cereal by That Recipe
• Beef with Barley Soup by The Spiffy Cookie
• Homemade Mexican Rice by Jen Around the World
• Apple Risotto with Bacon by Take Two Tapas
• Toasted Brown Rice with Mushrooms by Making Miracles