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When I switched to blogging full-time, I started a phase where I ate a banana every day as part of my breakfast. I’d stop by Trader Joe’s, the cheapest place to buy them (they only charged $0.19 per banana, regardless of the size!), and sorted through the big wooden crate they placed right inside the entrance, picking out the largest ones I could find. Â
I collected a variety of shades of yellow and green, rather than simply grabbing one big bunch, because I wanted the bananas to be perfectly ripe when I reached for them at breakfast. (Really green or overly spotted bananas rarely hit the spot!) I grabbed the most yellow one the first morning, then the next most yellow the following morning, and so on… By the time I reached the banana that had been the greenest in the store, it was perfectly ripe!
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As part of my breakfast routine, I fought my little dog for the best space of carpet in the family room where the sunshine streamed in next to the window. I opened a book to read while slowly savoring the banana, usually something inspirational or with guided meditations, nibbling on tiny bite after tiny bite until I reached the end of the chapter.
Because of those fond memories, I immediately knew that I wanted to include a banana breakfast treat when I started working on the Table of Contents for my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook. As a result, the very first recipe in the entire cookbook is for Strawberry Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!
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And since the eCookbook digital version of Healthier Chocolate Treats is coming out next week (you can see a sneak peek and preorder yours here!), I baked a loaf of this Chocolate Drizzled Raspberry Banana Bread in honor of it! Also because I’m just that excited… And I love any excuse to eat bananas and chocolate! ? Just like the muffin recipe in my cookbook, this banana bread is supremely tender, packed full of fruit, and the perfect breakfast treat!
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Before you start baking, let’s briefly talk about what makes this banana bread healthy! To start, it’s 100% whole wheat (and I included my favorite gluten-free option in the Notes section beneath the Instructions!), so you’re getting extra fiber and nutrients. And unlike traditional recipes that call for anywhere from ½ cup to a full cup of oil (my waistline is cringing at the thought of all those calories… is yours too??), this recipe contains absolutely no butter or oil!
Yes, that’s right!
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Instead, this clean eating banana bread gets its tender texture from two key ingredients: mashed banana and Greek yogurt. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know how much I love Greek yogurt! It’s my favorite ingredient in healthier baking because it adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories. Greek yogurt also gives your banana bread a little protein boost, too!
The mashed banana plays three key roles in this recipe: it provides flavor (that was probably fairly easy to guess!), a tender texture, and natural sweetness. For the best results, you’ll want to use the darkest, spottiest bananas you can find! Those really speckly bananas are the ones with the most natural sweetness, which means you’ll only need to add 2 tablespoons of honey to the batter.
Both fresh raspberries as well as frozen and thawed ones will work. Use whatever is already in your fridge or freezer! It’s important to dice them fairly small, about the size of mini chocolate chips, because this smaller size allows the loaf to cook more evenly.
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And of course, the best part… The chocolate drizzle! It’s super simple to make… You just need unsweetened cocoa powder, milk, and honey. That’s it! Just use regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder. You aren’t adding very much honey, so the drizzle already tastes like dark chocolate, even without using Dutched or special dark cococa powder.
Then drizzle it on the cooled banana bread, carve off a slice (or three), and…
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Enjoy! And when you do, remember to snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking! I’d love to see your banana bread and feature your picture in my Sunday Spotlight series!
And if you enjoyed this banana bread, you’ll love all of the recipes in my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook! See a special sneak preview and order yours here!
| Chocolate Drizzled Raspberry Banana Bread | | Print |
- for the banana bread
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ÂĽ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ÂĽ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- Âľ cup (200g) mashed banana (about 2 medium)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) honey
- ÂĽ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 1 cup (140g) raspberries, finely diced (fresh or frozen and thawed)
- for the drizzle
- 1 ½ tbsp (8g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp honey
- 1 tsp nonfat milk
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5” baking pan with foil, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the mashed Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Mix in the mashed banana and honey. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the raspberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out the loaf by the foil and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the drizzle, stir together the cocoa powder, milk, and honey in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a zip-topped bag, and cut off a tiny corner. Drizzle on top of the banana bread before slicing and serving.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, and all-purpose flour may all be substituted.
For best results, use the ripest, darkest, most spottiest bananas you can find!
The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 cup. If you have slightly more than Âľ cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.
Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
For best results and to ensure the loaf bakes as evenly as possible, cut the raspberries to be about the same size as miniature chocolate chips.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information
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♥   Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Brownies
♥   Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Oatmeal Cookies
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could you use oat flour for this recipe instead of wholewheat?
I’m honored that you’d like to try this recipe, Jenny! I don’t actually recommend that substitution. This is because gluten is the protein in wheat-based flours that helps baked goods rise and maintain their shape while cooling. Oat flour lacks that, so when you substitute it for wheat-based flours in my recipes that rise (like cupcakes, cakes, muffins, quick breads, etc!), your baked goods will often turn out denser and may collapse while cooling. Does that make sense?
However, if you don’t mind that texture difference with oat flour (where your banana bread collapses and turns out denser), the flavors will still remain the same! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making it!
Can I use frozen raspberries?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Zoey! I’ve actually answered this exact question in the Ingredients list. I know it can be easy to miss that though! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of this banana bread if you try making it!