Banana Oat Bread

Bananas are a special comfort food for me. As a young child in Japan, I was badly burned by boiling water from an overturned teapot. It was an accident of course, but I did have to go to the hospital and my hands were wrapped in bandages and restrained. I apparently went on a hunger strike and refused to eat anything except the bananas my mother smuggled in and fed me. To this day, bananas make me feel safe and I have them around most of the time. The only problem is I like them on the green side and they don't stay that way very long. So, I'm always looking for yet another way to use overipe bananas. Consequently, I have tried every banana bread recipe I can find and yet I always return to an old standby that I have been making for over 30 years! I like the denseness of the bread and it is just perfect with a cup of tea.

The origins of this recipe are a little murky, but I believe it was once clipped from the LA Times. Over the years I have adapted and changed it to suit my various dietary experiments - sugar free, gluten free, dairy free, etc. I have used unrefined sugar instead of refined, almond flour instead of wheat, applesauce instead of butter and eggs, apple juice, soy or rice milk instead of regular milk. It has alway worked worked no matter what I have added or substituted. So, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have.

Banana Oat Bread

1/2 cup Butter at room temperature

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 cup Wheat Flour or Gluten Free Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cnnamon

1 1/2 cup Bananas mashed (about 3 large or 4 small)

1/4 cup Milk

1 cup Oats

Optional - 1/2 cup of Walnuts or Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Cream the Butter and Sugar together, then add in the Eggs. Mix the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Cinamon together in another bowl. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Mash the Bnanas and stir in along with the Milk. Then mix in the oats. Add the Nuts,  if using and stir to combine.

Turn the mixture into a loaf pan or make into muffins. Bake the loaf for 60 minutes and muffins for about 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and the top(s) are golden brown.

Five Element Analysis

Tropical fruit, like Bananas are so sweet that they has to be considered part of the Earth Element. Oats add even more of the Earth Element as does the Sugar. If you use Wheat Flour, you are adding in the Wood Element, But if you use, Gluten Free Flour, it is made mostly of Rice Flour, which is part of the Metal Element and the Cinnamon and Milk add a bit more. If you end up using the Walnuts or Pecans, you bring in the Water Element. That's why you need to make some coffee or tea to go along with the banana bread and enjoy! There's no Fire Element so be sure to serve this with Coffee or Tea!