Banana Bread!

I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like banana bread. I think even my best friend Burcu, who doesn't like anything, likes banana bread. What's not to like? Bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, walnuts, nutmeg...it reminds me of my childhood, even though my mom didn't bake banana bread. Maybe I had a nanny who did or something? 

The ingredients.

So I made a loaf today. The smell of it baking alone was enough to make me jump off the balcony (kidding!) but someone had to watch it bake.

I used this recipe by Smitten Kitchen, but made some changes. 
1. I used 1/4 cup of melted butter, instead of 1/3. I've found that though smitten kitchen's recipes are fantastic, she tends to use more butter than I like. 
2. I had to unfortunately use powdered vanilla instead of liquid because it's all I have on hand right now. I much prefer really good quality liquid vanilla but they don't seem to sell it here in Istanbul. 
3. I didn't use the cloves. 

Notice the melted bananas on the right.

4. I used Diabetic sugar instead of brown sugar and used only 1/4 cup. I have found that Diabetic sugar is much sweeter than regular and thus less is needed. I must say the amount worked perfectly. 
5. Finally, I used half whole wheat flour instead of all white. I almost always do this because I prefer things that are nuttier and chewier and obviously, healthier. Plus, when you do half and half, I don't think you can tell the difference much. 
6. I added walnuts! I love walnuts in my banana bread. Gives just the right amount of crunch.

I think the loaf turned out fantastic, but so far, I'm the only one that has tried it and there are a few people in my life who I'd say are banana bread experts. I'll wait for their verdict! 


Remember to NOT overbeat the mixture. Whenever you are baking, overbeating results in a tough product, so as always, mix until just combined!