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This whole-grain healthy banana bread is naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup and dates. Bonus: it’s refined sugar-free!



INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting pan
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 cup chopped pitted soft dates
• ½ cup organic canola oil or avocado oil
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup, dark or amber
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 ½-inch Pyrex or ceramic loaf pan with cooking spray and dust with flour. Tap out excess flour and set aside.
2. Whisk white whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Stir eggs, bananas, dates, oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add ½ cup walnuts and stir to combine. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup walnuts over the top.
4. Bake bread until domed and deeply browned and a wooden skewer comes out with moist crumbs attached, 48 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Turn out of pan and let cool on wire rack until slightly warm or room temp before slicing and serving. Store wrapped at room temperature.

NOTES

1. Once it is cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep it moist.
2. This bread will be good stored at room temperature up to 3 days.
3. The bread can be frozen whole up to 3 months. Slices can be frozen for one month.

NUTRITION

SERVING SIZE: 1/10th loafCALORIES: 301SUGAR: 13 gSODIUM: 180 mgFAT: 19 gSATURATED FAT: 2 gCARBOHYDRATES: 31 gFIBER: 4 gPROTEIN: 5 g