Whole Banana Bread

If you’re looking at this recipe with a mashup of mild curiosity and major skepticism, you’re not alone. That was my response when I heard that home cooks were putting banana peels in baked goods. But it only took one bite of my first loaf to change my perspective.

Here’s why: It’s tender, perfectly sweet, and yes, just as good as the banana bread I’ve been baking since middle school. You’d never know the difference. 

Where Did this Banana Peel Business Come From?

Good question. First off, using banana peels in cooking may be new to me (and perhaps to you), but cultures in various pockets of the globe have been doing it for generations. Even Nigella Lawson, Britain’s grand dame of television cookery, has a recipe called Banana Peel Curry. 

As for banana peel bread? From what I can gather, the idea began after Lindsay-Jean Hard, author of Cooking with Scraps, taught a cooking class at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That inspired the kitchen to experiment with recipes that use all the scraps and peels. Alas, no-waste banana bread was born. 

Why Make Banana Bread With the Peel?

Banana bread made the old-fashioned way is arguably a perfect food, so why mess with it? There are a few pretty interesting reasons.

• It cuts food waste. That’s a good thing for the planet, since food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gasses. 
• It’s nutritious. That’s right. It’s a source of fiber, phytochemicals with antioxidant benefits, vitamins, and minerals. 
• It’s economical. The peel is about a third of the weight of the banana. By using the peel, you need fewer bananas, which means you might have one or two extra in your fruit bowl for your peanut butter toast or afternoon snack. 
• It makes fantastic banana bread. I don’t care how nutritious, economical, or eco-friendly a recipe is—if it doesn’t taste good, I’m out. And this is a mighty fine loaf. 

Special Tricks for Making This Bread

The method for this recipe and its core ingredients are no different than any other banana bread. The one difference is that the peels require a bit of advance prep. Here are a few good things to know:

• Use ripe bananas. Be sure the bananas are mottled with plenty of black spots. That means sweeter fruit and softer peels. 
• Freeze and then defrost the bananas. This is another step that softens the peel enough to mix seamlessly into your batter. 
• Purée the bananas in a food processor. Mashing the fruit with a fork is all that’s needed when using just the fruit. But add in the peel, and you need the muscle of a food processor to get it silky smooth.

Use Organic Bananas

Although our recipes rarely specify organic ingredients, this one is an exception. That’s because bananas are a pesticide-intensive crop according to the Environmental Working Group. Only a tiny level of those pesticides makes it past the peel onto the fruit, but if you are eating it peel, organic is the way to go. 

Swaps and Substitutions for Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe leaves lots of room for creative swaps and substitutions. Here are a few I recommend.

• Swap pecans, hazelnuts, or other chopped nuts for walnuts.
• Use chocolate chips instead of or in addition to walnuts.
• For an entirely whole grain loaf, use 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour.
• If you don’t have whole wheat flour, make the bread entirely with all-purpose flour.
• Use vegetable oil or melted coconut oil in lieu of the olive oil.
• Add spices, such as 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
• Scatter your favorite seeds on top, such as raw pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds.

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