What’s your favorite weekday breakfast? I start almost every day with a creamy & cool smoothie. Excluding weekends, of course. I figure if I get it right 5/7 times, I can squeeze in a few pancakes and waffles on the weekend. One of the main draws of a smoothie for me is that it takes under five minutes to prep and I’m out the door.
Guess what else takes under five minutes? Slicing a mini loaf of banana bread.
I love mini loaves of quick bread because you can have a slice or two without feeling like you overindulged. Nothing like a loaf of soft, cinnamon and banana goodness to make your morning feel a little more indulgent.
Another reason to love these little loaves? They bake in under a half hour, much better than babysitting the oven for the hour that a regular sized loaf usually takes. If you only have one mini loaf pan, you’ll still be at under an hour for two loaves.
Also, let’s chat about some of the nutrient goodness I snuck into each loaf. We have a blend of whole wheat and white flour, flax seed, mashed banana, and greek yogurt. For the milk, I used some of the new Silk protein + fiber almond milk. I like to use almond milk in baking, pancakes, and smoothies.
If you don’t have whole wheat flour on hand, feel free to use all white (all purpose) flour. However, I do not recommend using only whole wheat flour because it will affect the structure of the bread.
Tired of plain banana bread? Try mixing in some mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or blueberries. I’d start with two or three tablespoons, but adjust it according to taste.
1 ripe medium banana
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons 0% plain greek yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup 100% whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon flax seed
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup milk (almond, soy, or regular)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flax seed, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mash the banana. Add brown sugar, greek yogurt, and butter and mix until combined. Add egg yolk and vanilla, mix until combined. Add flour mixture all at once, stirring until just combined. Add milk, stir completely.
Pour half of the batter into a greased mini loaf pan. If you have two mini loaf pans, go ahead and bake both at the same time. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer loaf onto a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter, if necessary. Enjoy!
