BEST YOGURT BANANA BREAD RECIPE

Since the pandemic started, I've been more careful about keeping my food wasted, as our trips to the grocery store are less frequent. So as I was browsing through what I had that day, puzzle pieces started moving in my head, and I saw everything I needed to make a great loaf of banana bread. Banana yogurt bread, to be exact. Why yogurt? Read on to find out.

WHY ADD YOGURT TO BANANA BREAD?

Yogurt is a great ingredient to Keeps bread moist, tender, and extra delicious without using a ton of butter or oil. You'll want to use plain yogurt for this recipe, not pre-sweetened. I didn't test the Greek-style yogurt in this recipe, but I think it would be a slightly denser loaf, as it has less moisture than regular yogurt.

HOW DO BANANAS RIPEN?

The riper the banana, the better for banana bread. When bananas are ripe, the starch turns into sugar, so unripe bananas will not be sweet or soft (good for mashing). Try to wait until there are no green bananas left and about half of the spots are gone. If your bananas have reached banana bread ripeness, but you're not quite ready to make banana bread, peel them, put them in a freezer bag, and freeze until ready.

CAN I MAKE THESE CAKES?

Yes, this mixture works great with banana pancakes, too! Simply divide the mixture into 12 wells of a muffin tin and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.

WHAT CAN I ADD TO BANANA BREAD?

Banana bread is fun because you can add all kinds of things to it. I used walnuts here, but they are completely optional. You can also make other types of nuts, such as pecans or shredded coconut. Chocolate also pairs well with bananas, so you can add ½ cup of chocolate chips, or melt the chocolate and stir it into the mixture while it's on the loaf pan. A little well-dried pineapple would be delicious too!

HOW TO STORE BANANA BREAD

After baking the banana bread, let it cool completely to room temperature, then transfer it to a gallon-size zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator. It will keep in the refrigerator for about five days. I like to slice it up before putting it in the fridge, so I can put one slice at a time with my coffee. About 15 seconds in the microwave and it's warm and delicious, just like fresh baked goods!

Banana Banana Bread is great with a little peanut butter or almond butter drizzled!

BANANA BREAD WITH YOGURT

This super-moisture banana bread recipe uses plain yogurt to keep the bread soft and fluffy with just a little bit of butter or oil. Add nuts or chocolate too!

 Prep Time: 15 mins

 Cook Time: 1 hr

 Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas) ($0.42)

1 cup plain yogurt ($0.67)

2 large eggs ($0.46)

1/2 cup sugar ($0.40)

4 Tbsp butter, melted ($0.52)

1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.30)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour ($0.23)

1 tsp baking powder ($0.02)

1/2 tsp baking soda ($0.02)

1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts ($0.60)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a little butter inside a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides.

Mash the bananas well, then add to a large bowl along with the yogurt, eggs, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir these ingredients until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of the wet ingredients and whisk together until there is no dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl (some lumps are fine, just be careful not to over-mix). Gently fold the chopped walnuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, then bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until the loaf is browned, cracked on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (some wet crumbs are fine, just not the raw batter).

After baking, let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Once it cools slightly it will pull away from the loaf pan. Run a knife along the sides between the loaf and tray, then gently turn the loaf on a wire rack to cool. Cut it into slices and serve when cool.

HOW TO MAKE BANANA BREAD WITH YOGURT - STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a little butter inside a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides. Make a cup of mashed bananas (about 3 bananas). I do this in a glass measuring cup with a fork. It will only take 30 seconds.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, 1 cup of plain yogurt, 2 large eggs, ½ cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir these ingredients until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. Stir until well blended.

Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of the wet ingredients and stir until combined and there is no dry flour left at the bottom of the bowl. A few lumps are okay, but make sure you don't leave any pockets of dry flour. Avoid too much fuss. (Photo halfway through the stirrup)

Add ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake the loaf in a 350°F preheated oven for about 60 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and the top opens and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean ("clean" means no raw dough, just a few wet pieces stuck to In. Toothpick is fine).

Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. It will pull away from the pan a bit as it cools. Run a knife along the sides between the bread and the loaf pan, then gently flip the bread over on a wire rack to finish cooling. Cut it into slices and serve when cool.