Banana bread has become the ultimate part of brunches and tea-time desserts because of its mildly sweet flavor. As the name suggests, banana bread uses bananas as the primary ingredient that gives it its delicious taste. Some recipes require three bananas while others require four.
However, some people ask what they can add if there aren’t enough bananas for banana bread. You’ll need an ingredient that won’t change the consistency of your batter.
In this article, we’ve provided valuable information on how to choose a banana substitute and ones that will work wonders for your banana bread!
What is the purpose of Adding a Banana to Banana Bread?
This may come as a surprise, but the flavor of bananas isn’t the only reason they’re added to banana bread. Firstly, bananas are an excellent binding agent in baked goods. The fruit is what prevents the bread from crumbling. This is why many people substitute bananas for eggs in some recipes.
Secondly, banana has a sufficient amount of moisture that helps all the other ingredients bind together perfectly. Bananas add a sticky but delicious texture to the inside of the bread while the other ingredients create the perfect crispy crumb on the outside.
Lastly, bananas are packed with nutrients such as:
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Folate
Even if you only use one banana in your banana bread and substitute the rest you’ll still get the benefits you want such as flavor, texture and nutrients. You can also find substitutes with the same nutritional value if that’s what you’re after.
How to Choose a Banana Substitute for Banana Bread
It would be ideal if you could use any type of food as an alternative for bananas in your bread. However, some foods might change the color, consistency and flavor of your banana bread. That’s why it’s important to choose the right banana substitute.
Alternative ingredients to bananas should have the following characteristics:
- The substitute must have the same texture as bananas.
- Consider using an alternative ingredient with minimal flavor so it doesn’t overpower the banana.
- Choose a banana substitute that also has binding agents such as applesauce or eggs.
- You must use an ingredient that won’t make the batter too runny or dry.
- Try not use banana substitutes that will change the color of your banana bread.
Extra tip: If you use a banana substitute with less sugar, then use honey or more sugar to add sweetness to your banana bread. On the other hand, if you’re using an alternative that is sweeter than bananas, then use less sugar in your dry ingredients.
Tasty Ingredients That Will Go With Banana Substitutes
Besides the alternatives to bananas, there are other delicious ingredients you can add to your banana bread for better texture and flavor profiles. This is especially true if you’re using substitutes for your banana bread.
Here are some ideas for extra ingredients to add to your banana bread batter:
- Spices: If you’re using an extremely sweet banana alternative then you’ll want to balance it out with delicious spices. If you’re using applesauce or pumpkin puree we suggest adding nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger to your banana bread.
- Nuts: To add extra crunch and nutty flavors to your banana bread use chopped walnuts or pecans. You can also add macadamia nuts for a richer flavor especially if you’ve used a substitute with minimal flavor.
- Chocolate chips: You don’t always have to add more sugar if your banana substitute isn’t sweet enough. Add additional sweetness and flavors with half a cup of chocolate chips.
- Citrus: Orange or lemon zest can brighten up your recipe. It can also add more flavor to your banana bread if you’ve used a tasteless banana substitute such as beans.
Ensure that the added ingredients you use enhance the flavor of your banana bread and be sure to use the correct ratios. Depending on the volume of your batter you can add a cup of additional ingredients to enhance the flavor and texture of your banana bread.
Not Enough Bananas For Banana Bread – 10 Best Substitutes
Now that you know more about how to choose a substitute for bananas in your banana bread, here is a list of tried and tested alternatives. It should be noted that some substitutes can change the consistency of your batter or alter the texture of your banana bread when it’s baked.
- Fruit Puree
If you don’t have whole bananas available to make banana bread, you can also use purees. You can opt for fruit purees because they can enhance the fiber content in the bread. Additionally, you can opt for prunes which can add more vitamin A, fiber, boron, iron, and calcium to the banana bread.
However, prune is likely to add a darker hue to the bread. But the upside is that the prunes taste sweeter compared to bananas. We suggest using fewer prunes if you don’t want to add too much sweetness to your banana bread.
- Greek Yogurt
If you haven’t added the liquid ingredients to the banana bread batter already, you can use Greek yogurt. The Greek yogurt makes up for an insufficient number of bananas while also adding protein.
The benefit of Greek yogurt is that it has a thick consistency which results in a promising texture. However, this type of yogurt is sour and isn’t sweet enough, so add more sugar or honey to your batter.
- Applesauce
The simplest alternative to your banana bread is a rich apple sauce. Creamy applesauce is easy to find and delivers a similar consistency and sweetness to bananas.
What’s more, you can eat your banana bread with apple sauce once it’s baked. The best thing about this alternative is that the apple flavor won’t dominate the banana bread.
- Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree is another amazing alternative for people who cannot find enough bananas for their bread. This is because pumpkin puree has a mild flavor. You can adjust the sweetness level by adding honey or sugar.
Moreover, pumpkin puree is easy to find in the dessert aisle of grocery stores. If you can’t find a pumpkin puree you can always make it yourself.
Simply chop up some pumpkin, steam the cubes until they’re soft and then mash them in a blender. Add the pumpkin puree directly to the banana bread batter and stir until well combined.
- Avocado
Avocados are the most readily available substitute for people who cannot find enough bananas for their bread. For this purpose, you can opt for mashed avocados to make your banana bread buttery.
What’s best about mashed avocado is that it has high-fat content which increases the calorie percentage of the banana bread. Additionally, avocados don’t have a lot of flavor and they’re not incredibly sweet, so you can add more sugar or honey to your batter.
- Custard Apple
In case you can’t find avocado or pumpkin due to seasonal reasons, using ripe custard apple is the ideal alternative. For this purpose, you just need to buy a ripe custard apple and use the white flesh for the banana bread batter.
However, keep in mind that you must remove the seeds (no one wants to bite on seeds while eating banana bread). Additionally, you can mash the flesh with a potato masher to make the right consistency before adding the custard apple to your batter.
- Egg Whites
Egg whites are typically used to add volume to cakes and breads. Using egg whites as a substitute for bananas encourages leavening which causes the batter to expand by releasing gas. It can also give your banana bread an excellent texture and crumb while leaving the bread soft on the inside.
- Beans
When using an alternative for bananas in your banana bread you want to use ingredients with the same texture. So why not try beans? You’ll need to cook the beans first to make them soft. Then put them in a blender or mash them with a potato masher.
The advantage of using beans is that they don’t have a lot of flavor so the ingredient won’t overpower the banana fragrance or taste. Beans are also packed with vitamins, protein, potassium and magnesium giving your banana bread a boost in nutrients.
Chia and flax seeds are excellent thickening agents to add to your banana bread. The first step is to grind your seeds into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. Combine one tablespoon of the ground seeds with two and a half tablespoons of water to make a paste.
Stir the ingredients for at least 5 minutes to allow them to thicken. The chia and flax seed paste is the ideal alternative for one ripe banana. So if you’re missing two bananas from your bread, ensure you make enough seed paste to replace the two bananas.
- Silky Tofu
If you’re vegan and don’t want to use any animal products in your banana bread then use silken tofu. Simply place your tofu in a blender to get a smooth consistency that’s easy to mix into your batter.
Use equal parts of tofu to substitute your banana. For example, if the recipe requires one cup of mashed banana, use one cup of silken tofu for the correct ratios.