BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO

I came across this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Shutterbean. And unlike some online recipes, this one actually passed the test of easy, and delicious, putting it in heavy rotation in our house. I’m serious when I say, that it tops all banana bread recipes that have ever existed. Period. Maybe it’s the Greek yogurt? The olive oil? The maple syrup? All I know is that this is a winning combination of “healthy” ingredients and the results of adding them all together, is the most moist (sorry) and delicious bread of all time. It smells great baking and will probably only last you one day. At least that’s the problem we have over here. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup puree)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

* makes 8 x 4 inch loaf

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Line pan with a sling of parchment paper, with the long sides overhanging. Lightly butter the parchment, then set the pan aside.

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and brown sugar, breaking up any lumps. Add the maple syrup and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until fully incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in the bananas, then Greek yogurt. Add the flour mixture to the liquids, stirring until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan, evening out the top if necessary.

Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave the bread to cool in its pan for 10 minutes. Using the parchment sling, lift the bread out of the pan, unwrap and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.