Powerhouse Banana Bread

A hearty recipe for whole wheat banana bread is packed with dates, walnuts, and optional coconut for a great take-along breakfast or part of a morning meal that will stick to you all day long. Sour cream keeps it moist, and brown sugar and cinnamon make it yummy. Recipe makes 4 loaves.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 374 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
• 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted (Optional)
• 2 cups chopped dates
• 1 tablespoon white sugar (Optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (Optional)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (Optional)
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup butter (Optional)
• ½ cup toasted flake coconut (Optional)
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped dates, divided
• 2 tablespoons toasted flake coconut, divided (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

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.