Quinoa Banana Bread

Banana Bread with added quinoa for extra protein, fiber and nutrients.

Thank goodness for banana bread!  Otherwise I would have a whole lot of wasted bananas.  For me, bananas have a perfect ripeness window of about two days max.  Before then, they are too green.

After, they are too  ripe.  I end up making a lot of banana bread with all those ripe bananas.  This time I decided to amp up my regular banana bread by adding quinoa!

Quinoa is a “super grain!” Actually, if you read about quinoa, it’s not really a grain at all.  But as far as cooking goes, it’s just like a grain.  It is high in protein and is high in many nutrients including iron, manganese, copper, phosphorus and magnesium.

Quinoa is also believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Quinoa does not have gluten so it is a great alternative for people who are gluten intolerant.

How to cook quinoa

When cooking quinoa, you want to first rinse it thoroughly in water.  There is an outer coating that can taste bitter if you don’t rinse it off first.

Measure  desired amount of quinoa and pour it into a bowl. Fill the bowl with water and rub the grains with fingers.  Then pour it into a fine sieve and rinse under the water again.

Follow directions for cooking on your package.  Most usually have 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water.  Boil water, add quinoa, simmer with lid for 10-15 minutes until all water is absorbed.  Quinoa can be eaten hot or cold and takes on the flavor of whatever dish it’s in.

You can also check out this recipe on how to cook quinoa.

Can you taste the quinoa in this bread?

The quinoa is almost unrecognizable in this bread.  You really can’t taste it at all.  It does add a bit of a crunch on the outer edges.

My husband says he doesn’t like quinoa, so he didn’t believe me when I told him it was in the banana bread! Nothing like sneaking extra nutrition into something everyone is going to eat anyway!

How to make banana bread

• Use really ripe bananas – the browner the better
• Mash bananas before adding to mixture
• Mix dry ingredients together and set aside
• Mix eggs, sugar and butter together
• Fold in mashed bananas
• Add dry ingredients
• Fold in cooked quinoa
• Bake

Do I make full sized or mini loaves?

I used mini loaf pans for this bread.  I like the small size and the slices are just a perfect size! 

To make mini loaves bake in 4 mini loaf pans for 45 minutes. To make full sized loaves use 2 full size loaf pans and bake for 55-60 minutes. 

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Other Great Recipes Using Quinoa:

• Quinoa Farro Salad
• Quinoa Enchilada Bake
• Quinoa Waffles
• Quinoa Salad

4.84 from 6 votes

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Quinoa Banana Bread

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Banana bread made healthier with added quinoa.

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread, bread, quinoa banana bread recipe, quinoa recipes, quiona bread

Servings: 4 mini loaves

Calories: 215 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
• 3 bananas mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 cup quinoa cooked

Instructions

1. Measure dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together

2. In another bowl, mix eggs, sugar and butter together

3. Fold in bananas

4. Mix in dry ingredients

5. Mix in quinoa

6. Spray loaf pans and divide batter between pans

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. 

Recipe Notes

I used four mini loaf pans. If using large pans increase baking time by 5-10 minutes. 

Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the middle of a loaf. If toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done. 

 

Nutrition Facts

Quinoa Banana Bread

Amount Per Serving (16 g)

Calories 215 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 154mg 6%

Potassium 155mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates 36g 12%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 15g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 3.8%

Vitamin C 2.3%

Calcium 1%

Iron 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.