Decadent banana bread, naturally sweetened with fresh summer berries and healthy enough to be eaten for breakfast!

Summer is right around the corner, even though it has sure felt like summer the past few days! What better way to use up all of those extra berries from your backyard.  If you get half the amount that we got last year, you will have more than enough to make this bread until you get sick of it (if that is even possible).

If you like this recipe, which you will, it can be made all year round by using frozen berries as well. You might have to bake it a bit longer though.

Whole Wheat Berry Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
• 3/4 cup each blueberries, diced strawberries, raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the apple sauce, almond milk, almond extract, and eggs together until well blended. Stir in the mashed banana and yogurt until mixed and no lumps remain.
4. Add the flour mixture in small amounts and stir just until dry ingredients are moist.
5. Gently fold in berries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
6. Bake at 315°F for an additional 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!! I found it tasted best when it was warm. I also tried it with a little peanut butter spread on top and it was delicious! I also think adding some natural peanut butter (about 1/4 cup) into the wet ingredients would make this bread even better, because who doesn’t love peanut butter. The peanut butter will add additional protein as well.

Nutrition facts per serving (1/2 inch slice) 

• 82 calories
• 3 g protein
• 15 g carbohydrates
• 1 g fat
• 3 g sugar

Free of refined sugar; whole wheat adds additional fiber.