Seeded Whole-Wheat Banana Bread

Whenever I bake something up that’s not dessert, I can rarely say that it ever qualifies as healthy given my love of brown sugar, butter and chocolate.  I often describe a lot of my breakfast recipes as “healthy-ish.”  So when I recently received a copy of this beautiful new cookbook called Healthy-ish by Lindsay Maintland Hunt, I knew  it was going to be a love at first bite relationship. The photography in the book is stunning and should come with a warning not to flip through it on an empty stomach. When OXO sent over a few new baking products, it was the perfect opportunity to try out the recipe for Seeded Whole-Wheat Banana Bread. This banana bread is jam-packed with a variety of flavors and textures, so every bite is a sweet new experience.

I have a love hate relationship with banana bread. I love the taste of it, but I hate baking it. And I only dislike baking it because I typically like to “wing it” when I’m baking, and my attempts at that approach with banana bread have always ended up with a burnt top and not-fully-cooked mushy center. I tend to always go the muffin route for this reason. So following the Healthy-ish recipe for this healthier banana bread was the only way I was willing to attempt my hand at it again. And I’m sure glad I did. My friends at OXO sent over a few products to use for the recipe that helped a lot in the baking process.

The Non-Stick Pro 1 lb Loaf Pan features smooth, seamless bottom corners for easy cleaning, and square-rolled top edges for structure, strength, durability and a secure grip when handling. I lined the bottom and sides of the loaf pan with parchment paper to help prevent any sticking, and the banana bread slid right out without any resistance after it finished cooling. I must admit, I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to kitchen supplies, but I was excited to add these Stainless Steel Measuring Cups and Spoons Set to my collection. They are magnetic so make for really easy storage. Plus, can you ever have too many measuring cups and spoons? Another handy tool I actually didn’t already have was this Chef’s Precision Oven Thermometer, which I used to verify that my oven was at the exact temperature I needed before I put the banana bread in the oven.

I happily tossed my old cooling racks to the curb after getting my hands on this beautiful Non-Stick Cooling and Baking Rack. After letting the banana bread cool out of the oven for a few minutes, I transferred it to the cooling rack so it could cool down a bit more before slicing. The non-stick, two-layer coating is swiss-engineered for exceptional performance and food release, while the wire pattern is optimized for 360° air circulation, for quick cooling and even baking.

Now for the best part – the banana bread! This recipe was really easy to make, and I picked up some whole-wheat flour, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, which were the only ingredients I didn’t already have stocked in my pantry. The bread is a little dense and very flavorful, but what I loved most was all of the nuts and seeds that were packed in and on top. The sugar, sesame seed and poppy seed mixture on the top created a really flavorful, extra crunchy top layer. I stuck pretty much to her exact recipe from the book, only modifying by adding cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a little extra sweet flavor. The center came out perfectly cooked with the crunchy top, so this would definitely be getting 10s all across the board if we were scoring breakfast recipes.

I am excited to try out a few more of the recipes from her book, like the Peanut Butter Granola and the Single-Serving Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookie. The reviews on the rest of Healthy-ish are really positive, with common themes of loving how simple the recipes and ingredients are, which is totally my style of cooking and baking. So if you’re looking to eat a little more healthy-ish, add this cookbook to your collection and definitely start out on a sweet note with this Seeded Whole-Wheat Banana Bread. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by OXO, but all opinions are my own.

Print Recipe

Seeded Whole-Wheat Banana Bread

Yield: 1 - 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 Inch Loaf

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

This breakfast treat is a wholesome take on the traditional banana bread, packed with lots of seeds, nuts and whole wheat flour. This recipe is from the new cookbook Healthyish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil, such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed banana, from about 3 really ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chopped nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once the oven is heated to 350°F, toast the nuts for about 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare your 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch baking pan with either oil and flour, or line with parchment and spray lightly with non-stick spray.
3. Mix together 2 teaspoons each of the poppy and sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Set side.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1/4 cup of each of the poppy and sesame seeds, the baking powder, and salt. If you're a cinnamon lover, you can add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon here as well.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, eggs, oil, the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, and the vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Stir in the pecans or walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Sprinkle the reserved poppy-sesame-sugar mixture evenly over the top of the batter.
7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then turn onto a rack to cool completely. If you feel comfortable, carefully invert the loaf over the sink to catch any loose seeds or sugar.
8. The loaf will keep at room temperature well wrapped for 3 days. To freeze the loaf, cut it into 3/4 inch thick slices. Put in a zip-top bag with a piece of parchment between each slice.