The Tuesday Treat: Olive Oil Banana Bread

For an explanation of The Tuesday Treat, see here.

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Olive Oil Banana Bread, adapted from 101cookbooks.com

I have a couple of great banana bread recipes on this site, but, as always, there’s room for more. I rely upon Heidi at 101 Cookbooks for a myriad of things – soba noodle inspiration, brown rice casseroles, beautiful photography, etc. etc. – and when I wanted to switch up my standard I had no doubts about where to look. My friend Lesli (she who inspired this whole ‘Tuesday Treat’ thing) and her family were staying over at our apartment a few weeks ago when we were out of town, and I wanted to leave them a little something. I really love to make banana bread for guests as it’s so versatile – a quick breakfast or a post-dinner treat, either way.

This is a lovely loaf: not-too-sweet with a slight tang from the yogurt (I think buttermilk would be nice, too) and a mellow olive oil undertone. I omitted the lemon zest, chocolate chips, and glaze called for in the original recipe and added a handful of sliced almonds because – shockingly – I wasn’t in the mood for chocolate. But I’m sure that would be quite delicious, too. I think the olive oil is key here; butter is nice of course, but the olive oil really makes this special. Try it and let me know what you think.

Makes 10 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup dark or light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 very ripe, mashed bananas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Turn oven to 350° F, and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, bundt pan, or two small loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. Add the nuts if using. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Watch so it doesn’t overbake.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely.

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