Here is the recipe for very simple yet tasty Banana Bread with Raisins and Walnuts. A perfect way to use very ripe bananas.The summer is here! Well, not officially since we are a few days away from June 21, the official start of the summer. But our older boy is done with school and the little one has preschool graduation next week. We have a few trips planned this summer, some longer, some shorter. There will be lots of trips to the beach and hiking. I’m excited to see how our new puppy, Kona will feel about it all. She will get a taste of it in a few days when we will take her camping. She doesn’t seem to be crazy about water too much but hopefully it will change. And maybe my sister will come visit us after all!

Today’s recipe is the one a mentioned in my previous post Veggie and Cheese Quesadilla. I made this Banana Bread with Raisins and Walnuts for our trip to Lake Tahoe. Everyone loved it then so I’m going to make it again before our camping trip. It goes so well with your morning cup of coffee.This Banana Bread is moist, full of banana flavor and some crunch. Bananas should be very ripe, full of brown speckles on their skin so this recipe is perfect for using bananas no one wants to eat anymore.  I like to add a bit of flaxseed to the flour mixture to make it more moist and nutritious but feel free to skip it and simply use 2 cups of flour. Golden raisins, less sweet than the dark ones, really nicely complement the banana flavor. Chopped walnuts are simply required here as they go so well with bananas.

To make this bread, in a small bowl, mix together mashed bananas, yogurt, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, mix together flour, ground flaxseed, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, raisins and walnuts. Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and combine. Don’t over stir. Pour into a greased and floured 9-by-5- inch loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Check if done by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the bread. It should come out dry. Cool on a rack. This banana bread should be wrapped and can be stored in a fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes: 1 loaf         Prep time: 15 minutes         Bake time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (optional, if not using, add 1/2 cup flour more)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the 9-by-5-inch baking pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine mashed bananas, yogurt, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
3. In a large bowl, add flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking soda, salt, raisins and walnuts.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine well. Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 1 hr until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Crumb Topping – optional  ( I found this recipe recently on http://littlebitsof.com/2014/02/cinnamon-crumb-banana-bread/ and thought it would be a nice addition to this Banana Bread)

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle the crumbles all over the bread. Bake.

Enjoy!