Whole Grain Strawberry Banana Bread: A Fresh Take on the Classic

By Elizabeth Stark

The east coast spring is so fickle. One minute, it’s 80 degrees and you’re shuffling to find your summer clothes, and then a day later, the temperature plummets, the winds howl, and it’s pouring rain. That’s the kind of day it was today chilly, wet, and gray. But it was totally OK with me. I turned on my oven, brewed some tea, and made this spring-inspired strawberry banana bread. It’s a variation on my favorite banana bread recipe, and took to the strawberries beautifully. I played around with the texture a bit and added whole wheat and quinoa flours for a more protein, fiber, and whole grain goodness. The banana bread came out with a crisp, golden exterior and a perfectly light and buttery, strawberry-studded crumb. Spring eating just got awesome.

More Banana Bread Recipe:

Mini-Banana Bread Loaves for National Banana Bread Day!

Avocado Banana Bread

Make Moist Butterscotch Banana Bread

Whole Wheat Quinoa Strawberry Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt”¨
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt, room temperature
• 2 room temperature eggs
• 2 1/2 ripe bananas, lightly mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard loaf ban (9 x 5 x 3 inches) and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low until it’s pale and light, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fully combined. Scrape down the sides, and then mix in the eggs one at a time. Next add in the bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in the flour, and then strawberries, mixing just until combined. If you’d like, reserve a few berries for the top of the bread.
4. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60 – 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few crumbs attached. My bread browned considerably in the oven check bread towards the end and tent edges with foil if needed.
5. Cool for 20 minutes, remove from bread pan, and cool 40 minutes more before serving.