Banana Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
This Banana Bread with Fresh Milled Flour is the perfect way to use up a few overripe bananas. It bakes into a soft, tender loaf that’s just as good for breakfast as it is for an afternoon snack or dessert. It’s an easy, simple recipe that doesn’t require a mixer!
Looking for more Freshly Milled Flour recipes? Try our Einkorn Zucchini Bread, Cinnamon Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour, or Fudgy Spelt Brownies.
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What bananas are best for banana bread?
Use very ripe bananas with lots of dark spots or mostly brown peels. The riper the bananas, the sweeter, more flavorful, and more moist your banana bread will be. If your bananas are still mostly yellow, the loaf won’t taste the same!
Note: Don’t use the bananas in my pictures! I use the pretty yellow ones because, let’s be honest, nobody is clicking on banana bread made with ugly spotted bananas! The uglier they look, the sweeter your banana bread will be.
Have more than 3 ripe bananas to use up? Don’t forget to try my Banana Cake with Fresh Milled Flour. It’s the very best!
Why the Flour Blend?
I’ve tested this recipe with all spelt, all einkorn, and all soft white wheat. My favorite is a blend of 1/2 soft white wheat and 1/2 spelt because it bakes up softer and more tender than using either one alone. But if you only have one type of wheat berry, don’t worry. This recipe works well with any of them!
What you’ll love about this Fresh Milled Banana Bread
Recipe Ingredients:
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Banana Bread with Fresh Milled Bread.
- Freshly Milled Flour- I love doing a blend of soft white wheat flour and spelt flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter, melted
- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Bananas- The riper the bananas, the better! Look for peels that are heavily spotted or mostly brown and ugly, LOL!
- Sour cream
Ingredient Notes:
- Soft white wheat and spelt blend: The soft white keeps the crumb tender, and the spelt adds a little extra flavor depth. If you only have one on hand, either grain works fine on its own.
- Ripe bananas: The spottier and darker, the better. Underripe bananas won’t give you enough sweetness or moisture.
- Sour cream: This is what keeps the loaf moist past day one instead of drying out like a lot of banana breads do.
How to make Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, and both sugars until combined.
Step 4: Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Step 5: Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream until fully incorporated.
Step 6: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until no dry flour remains.
Step 7: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
PRO TIP:
Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Freshly milled flour absorbs liquid a little differently than store-bought, and stirring past the point where the flour disappears is the fastest way to end up with a dense, tough loaf instead of a tender one.
Storage and Freezing:
Storage: Keep this bread wrapped tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: This freezes great! Wrap the cooled loaf tightly, or slice it first, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm individual slices in the microwave.
Additions and Substitutions:
ADDITIONS:
- Walnuts or pecans: Fold in a half cup for some crunch.
- Chocolate chips: A half cup stirred into the batter turns this into more of a treat. My kids love these added in!
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Flour blend: Use all soft white wheat instead, same total amount of flour.
- Sour cream: Plain yogurt works in its place, full-fat gives you the closest result.
FAQs about this Whole Wheat Banana Bread Recipe:
Can I use frozen bananas? Yes! Thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid before mashing, or your batter can end up too wet.
Why is my banana bread dense? This usually comes down to overmixing once the flour is added, or bananas that weren’t ripe enough. Aim for bananas with a lot of brown spots, and stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears.
Can I make this into muffins instead? Yes. Divide the batter into a lined muffin tin and bake at 350°F for about 18-22 minutes, checking with a toothpick.
What can I serve with this Banana Bread?
We usually enjoy banana bread warm with a little butter and a mug of hot cocoa. If you’re a coffee drinker, it’s just as good with your morning cup.
I have an older recipe on my blog, Indescribably Delicious Banana Bread, that has the most wonderful topping. I left it off this recipe, but if you want to take this loaf over the top, I highly recommend adding it! Sugar lovers will adore the topping!
Banana Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour (1 cup soft white and 1 cup Spelt)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the freshly milled spelt flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.2 cups freshly milled soft white wheat flour,1 teaspoon baking soda,1/2 teaspoon salt,2 teaspoons cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until combined.1/2 cup melted butter,1 cup brown sugar,1/3 cup white sugar.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.2 large eggs,2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Stir in the mashed bananas and sour cream until fully incorporated.1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas,1/4 cup sour cream.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until no dry flour remains. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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About Vicky Hadley
Vicky Hadley is a professional food photographer and creator behind Little Chef Within. As a mom of 6 boys, there’s always plenty of noise and plenty of food! She relies on filling meals to keep her crew happy and loves creating recipes that real families can count on.