Catherine's Banana Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (fan‑forced) and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in the eggs, olive oil, and maple syrup.

3. In a large bowl, combine the self‑raising flour, bicarb soda, and cinnamon.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined - avoid overmixing.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.

6. Sprinkle desiccated coconut over the top (optional).

7. Bake for 1 hour, or until the loaf is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

• Bananas turning brown in the fruit bowl? Peel and freeze them to bake banana bread later. When you're ready to make banana bread, transfer them to the fridge and let them defrost for 24 hours
  

• Swap cinnamon for mixed spice or nutmeg if that’s what you already have on hand.
  

• The browner the banana, the sweeter the muffins will be! If you’re using less ripe bananas, consider adding slightly more honey.
  

• Slice and freeze leftover banana bread for grab‑and‑go snacks. To freeze, let cool completely, cut into slices and place in a freezer safe container. To defrost, just heat for 30 seconds in a microwave or toast in a toaster.
  

• To make this recipe vegan, checkout our article on egg replacements.

Nutrition Information (per serve)

• Energy (725kJ)

• Protein (3.7g)

• Total Fat (7.7g)

• Saturated Fat (1.3g)

• Carbohydrate (21.9g), (Starch (14.2g), Sugars (7.7g), Added sugars (4.2g), Free Sugars (4.2g))

• Dietary Fibre (1g)

• Sodium (24mg)

• Calcium (26.4mg)

• Iron (0.5mg)

Listen to the Nutrition Science Bites podcast episode with Dr Catherine Fleming and Prof Clare Collins: Should parents feel guilty about using baby food squeeze pouches? with Dr Catharine Fleming where they discuss the rise of squeeze pouches for infant feeding.