Vegan Recipe: Best Banana Bread Ever

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup wheat germ

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients first, then mix in bananas, oil and honey. (If you measure out the oil first, when you pour out the honey, it will all slide cleanly out of the cup.)

Pour into oiled bread pan and bake for 20 minutes. This recipe is also great for muffins. Muffins are more like 15 minutes until done. Use a toothpick or knife to check the middle. If it sticks, keep baking.

Recipe Substitutions:

• Vegans can substitute agave nectar or maple syrup for honey, and you can cut the amount of sweetener down to your taste.
• Quinoa or brown rice flour can replace the wheat flour to go gluten-free
• We use olive oil, and have made it with as little as 1 tablespoon of oil for a low-fat banana bread.
• I don’t ever use table salt, which is only sodium chloride. Unrefined salts have a much better taste and a full mineral content.
• For dessert, throw in a handful or two of chocolate chips and shredded coconut!
• We always buy organic if possible.

This is a very versatile recipe. Cut off a few fat slices and take them with you for a natural power bar. It packs very well and makes a great travel food. I just took a loaf with me on an airplane trip, and when I pulled it out to eat mid-flight, half the plane turned around looking for the source of the enticing smell.

You could probably fry it up like pancakes or fried cookies, or spread it thin and dry it, like banana jerky. (Hmm… I think I’ll try that tonight!)

Here you go, Mom… This one’s for you.

Image: ian_ransley at Flickr