Hazelnut Banana Bread

Make this Hazelnut Banana Bread with White Spelt Flour, a little ground mixed spice and a couple of overripe Bananas that were almost ready for the compost bin. It's moist and delicious, so put those ripe bananas to good use rather than waste them.

This is my favourite Banana Bread Recipe. Normally I would make it with white wheat flour, but now that I am starting to use more Ancient Grains, I wanted to give this recipe a try using White Spelt flour.

Why You Will Like This Recipe

• This Banana Loaf recipe answers everyone's question of what to do with overripe bananas.
• For breakfast, try toasting a thick slice spread with Honey and slices of fresh bananas.

Ingredients for this Recipe

• Butter - Unsalted and at room temperature. It makes mixing so much easier.
• Sugar - Soft brown sugar gives a nice nutty flavour that complements the taste of the Spelt Flour. Demerara sugar is ideal to use as the topping as the granules are larger.
• Eggs - Medium sized, lightly beaten. Organic and free range if you can.
• White spelt Flour - Ordinary White Plain Wheat Flour is fine. If using Self Raising Flour, omit the Baking powder.
• Baking Powder - For ease of distribution, sieve it into the spelt flour. Remember to omit if using Self Raising Flour.
• Mixed spice - Any complementary spice will do. Nutmeg is a nice alternative.
• Hazelnuts - Finely chopped. Try roasting some for extra flavour. Reserve 10g for the topping.
• Bananas - The riper the better. Even those with really dark skins have a wonderful sweet flavour.

Note: This is just an overview of the ingredients I used. See the recipe card below for a full list and quantities.

Substitutions and Variations

• Nuts - Try using a variety of nuts. Crushed Walnuts or choped mixed nuts would be ideal.
• Muffins or Buns option- You could try turning this Banana Loaf recipe into Muffins and Buns by baking them in Muffin cases. The baking times will be about 15 mins, similar in time to these Apple and Cinnamon Muffins. Just make sure they are baked in the centre.

Step by Step Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.

Step 1: Using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until well mixed with a creamy texture. Gradually add the lightly beaten eggs, adding a little flour to help prevent curdling.

Step 2: Mix together the remaining flour, ground mixed spice and baking powder before adding to the cake batter. This will help the ingredients distribute evenly. Add the mashed bananas and give everything a good mix.

Step 3: Add 90g of the chopped hazelnuts, reserving the rest for the topping.

Step 4: Mix until well combined. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go along.

Step 5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared 900g loaf tin. Scatter the top with a little demerara sugar and the reserved 10g of chopped hazelnuts.

Step 6: Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 50 minutes, or until baked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 – 15 minutes to cool a little before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Baker's Tips

Tip 1: The riper the Bananas the sweeter they will be. Even the ones with very dark brown skins are worth using.

Tip 2: If you want to avoid lumps of Bananas in your Banana Loaf, mash them separately in a bowl, using either a fork or hand mixer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

Room Temperature: This Banana and Hazelnut Bread will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.

Fridge: To avoid the banana pieces in the loaf going stale, it will keep longer in the fridge.

Freezer: Suitable for freezing.

More Wholegrain Recipes That You May Like to Try

Note: After making this recipe please let me know how you got on by leaving a comment below, especially if you use alternative ingredients.

Recipe

Hazelnut Banana Bread

Lynn

Make this Hazelnut Banana Bread with White Spelt Flour, a little ground mixed spice and a couple of overripe Bananas that were almost ready for the compost bin. It's moist and delicious, so put those ripe bananas to good use rather than waste them.

5 from 2 votes

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5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Afternoon Tea

Cuisine British

Servings 8

Calories per serving 454 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  1 x 900g Loaf Tin
• ▢
  Baking Parchment

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 150 g butter at room temperature
• ▢ 150 g soft brown sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 225 g White spelt flour see note if you are not using Spelt flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder omit if using Self Raising Flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice Nutmeg is also nice.
• ▢ 100 g hazelnuts finely chopped reserve 10g for the topping
• ▢ 2 large ripe bananas

Topping

• ▢ 1 tablespoon approx. 10g chopped Hazelnuts Reserved from earlier.
• ▢ 1 tablespoon approx. 10g demerara sugar

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
• Using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until well mixed with a creamy texture.
  150 g butter, 150 g soft brown sugar
• Gradually add the lightly beaten eggs, adding a little flour to help prevent curdling.
  2 eggs
• Mix together the remaining Spelt Flour, ground mixed spice and baking powder before adding to the cake batter. This will help the ingredients distribute evenly.
  225 g White spelt flour, 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice, 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Add the mashed bananas and give everything a good mix.
  2 large ripe bananas
• Add 90g of the chopped hazelnuts, reserving the rest for the topping. Mix until well combined. Scraping down the bowl as you go along.
  100 g hazelnuts finely chopped
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared 900g/2lb loaf tin. Scatter the top with the demerara sugar and chopped hazelnuts (10g). Bake in the centre of the oven for approx 45 - 50 minutes, or until baked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
  1 tablespoon approx. 10g chopped Hazelnuts, 1 tablespoon approx. 10g demerara sugar
• Leave in the tin for 10 – 15 minutes to cool a little before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.

Is ideal for freezing. Cool the Banana Loaf completely before cutting it into thick slices. Freeze each slice individually wrapped, then place it in a suitable container. This way you can take each slice out as when needed, rather than wait for the whole cake to thaw out.

You Can Freeze Bananas. Peel and slice the bananas into thick slices and open freeze on a baking tray in the freezer. Once frozen place them in a freezer back before returning to the freezer. Bring back to room temperature before adding to cake mixture.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 8gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 196mgPotassium: 246mgFiber: 6gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 550IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mg

Note: Recipes are tested using Metric only. The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire recipe, the calorie accuracy nutritional facts, unit and portion conversion are calculated by a third party app. and are not guaranteed.

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