Molasses Banana Loaf

 This healthier version of banana bread is made with hearty whole wheat flour and sweetened with dark, rich, earthy molasses. A tasty twist on a classic snack!

Ever since the kids were little, there has always been a stash of ripe bananas in my freezer. I can't escape it. Most of the time when I buy bananas the kids eat them in the matter of days. Then the next time I buy them, they are barely eaten and I'm left throwing them into the freezer. With all the Christmas baking I've been doing this month, I decided to make the kids something to snack on, so they would stop asking to eat my Christmas cookies. 

Since we will be indulging on sweets in the next few days, I went the healthier route when making this loaf of banana bread. I was inspired by the Bear Paw snacks the kids use to eat when they were little, and sweetened my loaf with molasses. I love the rich deep flavour of molasses. It is also rich in iron, which is important since we are not the biggest meat eaters. Since molasses is not all that sweet, I added a touch of raw honey. I always use raw honey, since it is high in antioxidants, which helps protect our cells from free radicals. It's also said that the antioxidants in raw honey can play a role in preventing heart disease. PLEASE NOTE: RAW HONEY SHOULD NEVER BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN UNDER 12 MONTHS OF AGE. 

The molasses gave this banana loaf an amazing colour and added a subtle almost smokey undertone. It doesn't hit you right away, but you can tell that there is something differently delicious in this loaf of banana bread. I love that it hides the whole wheat flour wonderfully. My kiddos aren't too keen on baked goods made with whole wheat flour, but I try to sneak it in, any time I can. 

This would make a wonderful last minute Christmas gift. Wrapped in festive tissue paper and a beautiful bow, friends and family would be delighted to receive a homemade gift, made with love.

Molasses Banana Loaf

1/2 C butter, melted
1/4 C raw honey
1/3 C molasses
2 eggs
1/4 C buttermilk
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 C all purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Liberally grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the honey and molasses; stirring well to combine. Stir in eggs, until well combined. Stir in the buttermilk and banana, mixing well.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well, with a wire whisk, until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes; until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, before removing loaf to a wired rack.

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