Healthy Strawberry Pecan Banana Bread
This tender banana bread is full of natural sweet, fruity flavor, thanks to both the bananas and juicy strawberries! It’s perfect for quick breakfasts and snacks. Leftovers will keep for at least one week if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup (200g) mashed banana (about 2 medium – see Notes!)
- 2 tbsp (30mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 1 cup (140g) whole fresh strawberries, finely diced
- 3 tbsp (21g) finely diced pecans
Instructions
- 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 butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the mashed Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Mix in the mashed banana and maple syrup. 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.) Reserve ½ tablespoon of the diced strawberries, and gently fold in the rest along with the pecans.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and gently press the reserved strawberries into the top of the batter. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 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.
Notes
IMPORTANT BANANA NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use purely/mainly yellow bananas. For the best results, use the ripest, darkest, and most spottiest bananas you can find. The ones that are almost entirely brown or black are ideal! This is because they have a stronger flavor and more natural sweetness compared to mainly yellow bananas, which will make your banana bread taste sweeter. These "overripe" bananas will also make your banana bread more moist and tender.
Measure the mashed banana by cups or grams – not by "2 medium" bananas. Not all medium bananas are the same size!
The mashed banana and Greek yogurt combined need to measure 1 cup. If you have slightly more than ¾ cup mashed banana, then reduce the Greek yogurt by the same amount, and vice versa.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
STRAWBERRY NOTES: Measure the strawberries when they're whole. To ensure the loaf bakes evenly, cut both the strawberries and pecans to be the same size as miniature chocolate chips. (It takes a little bit more time, but I promise it’s worth it!)
Frozen and thawed strawberries may be substituted for the fresh. If using frozen, the baking time may increase by a few minutes.
GLUTEN FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use as follows: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one by Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO: To see how this banana bread is made, watch my video here, located directly above the recipe. (The recipe is slightly different, but the process is the same!)
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.