Sugar remains a key component in most traditional sweet treats, but it isn’t always essential. Timeless favourites such as Victoria sponge and chocolate brownies depend on it for that burst of sweetness, but banana bread can easily be made delicious without it. As a banana progresses from green to yellow to brown, the starches break down into simpler sugars, making it taste sweeter.
As cookbook author and nutritionist Romina Bertinazz explained in her publication Yummy Little Belly, the fruit provides the majority of the flavour and texture in banana bread. Revealing her simple recipe, she explained: “These banana bread muffins are sweetened with bananas only…For best results and a naturally sweet flavour choose fully ripe bananas for this recipe.”
The recipe does feature optional dark chocolate for an additional flavour dimension. Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that the antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clotting and increase blood circulation, among other health benefits.
Banana bread recipe
Ingredients (12 muffins)
- 400g overripe bananas
- 200g oat flour
- 30g smooth peanut butter
- Four teaspoons of baking powder
- 60ml milk
- 60g dark chocolate, chopped (optional)
Method
Creating the muffins requires just 10 minutes, as all ingredients can be combined in a single large bowl.
However, before preparing the mixture, it’s advisable to heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Then, prepare a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Next, peel and break the bananas into the bowl and crush them using a fork. Incorporate the remaining ingredients individually and stir thoroughly to blend.
Once the mixture achieves a consistency similar to cake batter, carefully divide it amongst the muffin cases using a dessert spoon. Bake the muffins in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes until they’re beautifully golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool down before serving.
