Berry-Banana-Walnut Bread
Submitted by RaNae
Berry-banana-walnut bread with mashed strawberries or raspberries, banana, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A fruit-packed quick bread with a blueberry variation included.
YIELD
1 loafPREP
20 minCOOK
70 minREADY
90 minA triple-fruit quick bread that packs mashed strawberries (or raspberries), ripe banana, and shredded orange zest into a warm-spiced batter with cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped walnuts. The berries add moisture and a tangy sweetness that banana bread alone doesn’t have.
Mashing the berries before mixing them into the wet ingredients is what distributes their flavor and juice evenly through the batter. Whole berries would leave pockets of fruit and dry spots. Mashed berries blend into every bite and tint the bread a gorgeous pink.
Stirring the batter just until combined is critical with this much fruit moisture. Overmixing develops tough gluten and the bread turns dense and chewy instead of tender. A few lumps in the batter are fine.
Wrap and store overnight before slicing. This gives the flavors time to meld and the crumb firms up for cleaner cuts.
Kitchen Tips
- Use the ripest banana you have. Brown-spotted bananas are sweeter and mash smoother.
- Test with a toothpick at 60 minutes. The high moisture from the berries means this bread can take up to 70 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out. Too soon and it breaks apart.
Variations
- Blueberry version: Skip the strawberries and fold in one cup of whole fresh or frozen blueberries with the walnuts.
- Use pecans instead of walnuts for a milder, sweeter nut flavor.
- Add a streusel topping of butter, flour, and brown sugar before baking for a coffee cake-style finish.
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
In another bowl, stir together eggs, sugar, mashed berries, banana, oil, and orange peel.
Add to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Stir in nuts.
Pour into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes.
Remove from pan; cool on a rack.
Wrap and store overnight.
BLUEBERRY-BANANA-WALNUT BREAD Prepare as above, except omit strawberries or raspberries and stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen WHOLE blueberries with the nuts.
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