Carrot Raisin Banana Bread, whole wheat and no refined sugar

Carrot Raisin Banana Bread is a delicious whole-wheat quick bread with no refined sugar. Made with whole food ingredients, it is also 100% delicious! Which is the most important part, because if it doesn't taste good, no one will eat it...

I was trying to come up with a nice witty introduction to this recipe...

Not because this recipe is terrible, in fact just the opposite. But to entice you to make it, is the reason why.  The lack of wittiness on my part is, much like a missing ingredient. It can stop you in your tracks! So it is best to just get to the meat of the matter, this bread is not only healthy, made with whole food ingredients, but it is also super delicious! Delicious enough that everyone will want to eat it! Which is the whole point of cooking don't you think? 

Carrot Raisin Banana Bread is so good, in fact, you will actually think of it as Carrot Cake good...

Going bananas!

Bananas add an interesting element to life. With trying to eat healthy, I eat a banana each day as part of my breakfast. But it can actually be difficult to purchase the right amount of bananas at the market. I need to purchase enough so there is a ripe banana each morning, but not so many that a bowl of overripe bananas begins to grow on the dining room table and must be dealt with. 

Through the years as I practiced my standard frugal ways in the kitchen, overripe bananas would be placed in the freezer as a short-term solution. Then one day while I was putting groceries away, I came across what must have been about 20 bananas in "storage" and realized immediately that my plan was not working at all! I was not in the banana storage business, but it sure looked like I was!

But why? Isn't this the banana storage standard of every kitchen in the world?

It turned out to be fairly simple. A standard loaf of banana bread has never caught my attention. You see, it wasn't a favorite in my house growing up, nor when I became the cook in my own home. And worse, I made a loaf of banana bread whenever I did not know what else to do with those stacked-up bananas! Honestly, that did not make me love banana bread all the more...no, if anything, I liked it less and less. The only possible way to be frugal and use up the overripe bananas was to develop new recipes. So I did.

Like this recipe for Carrot Raisin Banana Bread. 

Because when we spend time in the kitchen cooking, the results should be delicious, and we should want to eat it. Now before you let me know that you love banana bread, I am pretty sure I already know! Otherwise, there would not be 50 million recipes for it, when you search the internet. But for me, baking another standard loaf of banana bread in order to keep to the frugal policy of no food waste was not the answer... 

I think because of that, I have made it my mission in life to come up with additional recipes that keep frugality in place, but provide a delicious new taste for those bananas lurking in the fruit bowl, or worse in cold storage in the bottom of the freezer! Such as, 

Fruit and Nut Brownie Bread. Like a fruit-studded brownie, but in loaf form.

One Bowl Banana Snack Cake. This needs no explanation!

Whole Wheat Cream Cheese Banana Bread. Just like a fancy dessert from a bakery, you will love it!

Bananas can have a fairly strong flavor profile. This might be the reason I am not the biggest fan of regular everyday banana bread. However this loaf of Carrot Raisin Banana Bread, has a combination of ingredients that helps tone down the banana flavor (otherwise you will have just another loaf of banana bread...) and that was my exact goal when I stepped into the kitchen to tackle those lurking bananas! 

As with all quick bread recipes, do allow this loaf to mellow overnight as the recipe indicates. 

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• bananas
• carrots
• raisins
• dates
• whole wheat flour
• salt
• baking soda
• cinnamon
• cardamom
• ginger
• oil
• eggs
• vanilla
• maple syrup

You will also need the following:

• cutting board
• kitchen knife
• box grater, or
• food processor
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• large mixing bowl
• silicone spatula
• baking pan

Now you are ready to begin!

Carrot Raisin Banana Bread

by the seat of my pants!

350-degree oven

UPDATED: 11.28.2023

2 c whole wheat flour - we use pastry grind whole wheat flour

1 t salt

1 t soda

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t cardamom

1/4 t ginger

2-3 carrots - grated 

1 c raisins - chopped fine. (you may also leave whole if desired)

2 bananas

2 c whole pitted dates

2 eggs

1/4 c oil

1/4 c water

1/4 c real maple syrup

1 T vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, whole wheat flour through ground ginger, whisk to combine all ingredients, set aside.

Grate the carrots using either a box grater or the food processor, set aside. Chop the raisins if desired, set aside. 

If using dates with the pits still inside, remove pits and discard. 

Combine bananas, dates, eggs, and oil in the bowl of a food processor, pulse to begin chopping action, when the mixture starts to cling and stick together, switch to full "on" and puree until smooth. NOTE: This mixture will be thick. 

Add the carrots and raisins to the dry ingredients. Top with the date mixture, water, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well, making sure there should be no wet pockets of ingredients, nor any dry pockets of ingredients. 

Scrape the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until done in your oven. Let rest in the pan, 15 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack or cloth towel, let cool completely. Wrap in parchment and store 24 hours before serving. 

Carrot Raisin Banana Bread, whole wheat with no refined sugars

Storage options for Carrot Raisin Banana Bread. You may keep bread at room temperature for up to three days, refrigerate for longer storage times to prevent spoilage. Most quick bread freeze quite well, and this one is no exception. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Carrot Raisin Banana Bread has been included below. 

You may also enjoy:

Browned Butter Zucchini Bread. 

#WholeWheatThat’sGoodToEat!

#norefinedsugar

#wholefoodingredients

#scratchmadefoodforyourfamily

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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Carrot Raisin Banana Bread

by the seat of my pants!

350-degree oven

UPDATED: 11.28.2023

2 c whole wheat flour - we use pastry grind whole wheat flour

1 t salt

1 t soda

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t cardamom

1/4 t ginger

2-3 carrots - grated 

1 c raisins - chopped fine. (you may also leave whole if desired)

2 bananas

2 c whole pitted dates

2 eggs

1/4 c oil

1/4 c water

1/4 c real maple syrup

1 T vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, whole wheat flour through ground ginger, whisk to combine all ingredients, set aside.

Grate the carrots using either a box grater or the food processor, set aside. Chop the raisins if desired, set aside. 

If using dates with the pits still inside, remove pits and discard. 

Combine bananas, dates, eggs, and oil in the bowl of a food processor, pulse to begin chopping action, when the mixture starts to cling and stick together, switch to full "on" and puree until smooth. NOTE: This mixture will be thick. 

Add the carrots and raisins to the dry ingredients. Top with the date mixture, water, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well, making sure there should be no wet pockets of ingredients, nor any dry pockets of ingredients. 

Scrape the batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until done in your oven. Let rest in the pan, 15 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack or cloth towel, let cool completely. Wrap in parchment and store 24 hours before serving. 

Storage options for Carrot Raisin Banana Bread. You may keep bread at room temperature for up to three days, refrigerator for longer storage times to prevent spoilage. Most quick bread freeze quite well, and this one is no exception. 

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