Powerhouse Banana Bread

This date, nuts, and oats concoction is delicately spiced and makes a perfect, highly nutritious breakfast food! Freezes well, perfect for gift giving, and in school my friends and roommates always begged for it!

Step: 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease 4 loaf pans, 7x3-inch size. Combine 1 tablespoon white sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust the insides of the greased loaf pans with the cinnamon sugar.

Step: 2

Stir whole wheat flour, oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Beat 2 cups brown sugar with 3/4 cup butter in a separate mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in sour cream, bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and fold in 2 cups dates, 1 cup walnuts, and 1/2 cup toasted coconut.

Step: 3

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle tops of each loaf with about 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons each of dates, walnuts, and coconut. Brush each loaf with melted butter for a shiny glaze.

Step: 4

Bake loaves in the preheated oven until browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Per Serving: 374 calories; protein 5.7g; carbohydrates 56.8g; fat 15.7g; cholesterol 48.1mg; sodium 271.3mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal bread , which not always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a breadmaker , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A bread first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can start it night before , then clear it off the next day.