While I was on the hunt to use up some zucchini, I came across this recipe, which also uses up some overly ripe bananas I had. As a child, the green squiggles in zucchini bread were my favorite. I also adored it filled with raisins and walnuts. This bread tasted more like banana bread, but with the green squiggles from the zucchini.
Banana Zucchini Bread
Source: Adapted from Real Housemoms via Pinterest
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup zucchini (shredded, squeezed, and patted dry)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Beat together oil and sugar in a stand mixer.
Add the mashed banana, egg, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir on low until just combined.
Fold in the zucchini.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
I had a hankering for banana bread, but I only had one ripe banana. After a quick search online, I found an easy recipe. I decided to change it up a bit to make it a bit healthier. I swapped half of the butter for unsweetened applesauce, added ground flax seed, cut the sugar in half, and added a handful of chocolate chips. I know, chocolate is not healthy, but it does contain antioxidants! The bread was so moist and delicious. It was perfectly sweet, and the flax seeds added some texture. Next time I will sub all the butter for applesauce and omit the chocolate chips.
One Banana Banana Bread
Source: Adapted from What A Crock!
1 large ripe banana (mashed)
1 egg with enough milk to make 1 cup of liquid (I used unsweetened almond milk.)
1/2 stick stick butter (melted and cooled slightly)
1/8 cup (2 oz.) unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/8 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
handful of chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray. (No need to flour pan.)
Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix everything with your hands until combined.
Mix in chocolate chips (if using).
Pour batter into pan.
Optional: I sprinkled the top with ground flax seeds.
Bake 50 to 55 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
I am addicted to Pinterest. I can waste hours pinning recipes and things for the home. It's my way to unwind after a stressful day at work. And it's a way for me to find new recipes to try. I found this simple recipe for beer bread on Pinterest, and it just so happens that this month's theme for my What's Baking group is quick breads. So I had an excuse to make it. And it came out wonderful! I used Stegmaier Oktoberfest beer from our local Lion Brewery (we're blessed to have a handful of local breweries), which added a nice hint of spice to the bread.
Beer Bread
source: Short Stop Blog via Pinterest
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I used Stegmaier Oktoberfest.)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Melt butter in microwave and set aside.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
Add beer and mix until combined. (Dough will be sticky.)
Place dough into loaf pan, and pour melted butter on top of loaf.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
