carrot banana bread

I think it’s finally safe to turn the oven on again. Summer has come to a close, and we are on the precipice of pumpkin season. The air is cool and we can bake a loaf bread for an hour without dying (at least in the northeast). I drafted this recipe up all the way back in April, but I admit that I don’t like testing things repeatedly because I don’t like having all of the leftovers in the house. Luckily, I’ve been getting better at sharing my goodies with other people in my building so everyone wins. This doesn’t exactly feel seasonal, as carrots make me think of spring and bananas make me think of any time of year, but the light spice and heartiness of the combo feels like a good match for sweater weather.

carrot banana bread

yield: one 9x5 loaf

2 cups (250 g) AP flour
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon 
1 large or 2 small carrots, about 1 heaping cup (160 g) grated
2 large overripe bananas
2 eggs
⅓ cup (65 g) canola oil
2 T (30 g) yogurt
⅔ cup (65 g) chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grate carrots and set aside. In a small bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until homogenous. Add the oil, yogurt, carrots and banana until well combined. Add the whisked dry ingredients, and combine until a few dry spots remain. Fold in the walnuts.

Spray a 9x5” loaf pan with baking spray. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. (If you are using a metal pan, the bake time may be shorter- check around 50 minutes, especially if your oven runs hot.) Remove and cool for about 20 minutes, then run a thin spatula or knife around the edges of the pan to release. Serve warm with butter. Cool completely before storing.

Consume within 4 days, or freeze.