Savvy Vegetarian's Tried and True Banana Bread Recipe
Makes one medium loaf.
This is an amazingly flexible vegetarian or vegan banana bread recipe, which can easily be doubled. It's great for breakfast or brunch, as a snack or dessert, or with a light soup or salad. Feel free to tinker with our banana bread recipe and make it your own. Vegetarian or vegan - it'll work as long as you keep the basic proportions and method.
The size of the bananas is the big variable in banana bread. The general rule is you should have 1 1/2 cups of liquid to 1 1/2 cups of dry. Add a little water if you need more liquid.This bread calls for half the sugar and fat used in most banana bread recipes, and it works just fine if you want to further reduce the fat and sugar, or leave out the egg. In fact, the vegan version is lighter. The spices in this recipe are a good complement to the bananas and nuts.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
OR: 3/4 cup Unbl + 1 c. wh. wheat or spelt + 1/4 c. amaranth fl.
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cardamom
3 small or 2 large over-ripe bananas (should equal at least 1 cup of mashed banana)
1 stick melted butter
OR: 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg (Vegan: substitute egg replacer OR 1 Tblsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 Tbsp water)
1/2 c unbleached cane sugar
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees & oil a medium bread pan
Chop & measure the walnuts
Measure & mix the dry ingredients, including the nuts
Mix the wet ingredients, including the banana - a blender, blender stick or food processor is handy. Otherwise, mash the bananas, then whisk in everything else
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix lightly with just a few strokes
Spoon the mixture evenly into the oiled pan
Bake for 45 min, middle of the oven, until browned & firm to the touch
Cool on a rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out to finish cooling
Note: bread should be cooled at least half an hour before eating
Vegetarian & Vegan Soups to eat with the banana bread
Do you have a great vegetarian or vegan recipe to share with the world? We can't guarantee to use all the recipes we get, but we'll gladly test your recipe - if it works and we like it, we'll publish it.
