Pane alla Banana | Italian Banana Bread

I created this recipe during the Covid-19 quarantine. For some reason, I always had over-ripened bananas in the fruit bowl, waiting to be transformed into something comforting. I added pistachios because a dear friend sent me a large tub of Bronte Sicilian pistachios from around Mt. Etna. Bronte Pistachios have a violet hue, are a bit smaller, and are quite a lot sweeter than your average green pistachio. Most Italian online markets carry these tasty gems. The addition of rosemary was a pure curiosity with a successful outcome.

To make this vegan-friendly, substitute the eggs for flax eggs, or a vegan egg replacement.

Receipt Date: August 4, 2020

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

3 Over-Ripe Bananas, mashed (I like to keep some chunks for texture)

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Pistachios, crushed coarsely (I used a baggie and a rolling pin and smashed away)

1/2 cup Sugar (I use Swerve, it is sweet like sugar with the Stevia after taste)

2/3 cup EVOO

2 Eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon Instant Espresso Powder

1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, sprinkle on top after loaf has cooled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a loaf pan with EVOO and line the bottom with parchment paper. I cut the parchment paper to fit the sides and the bottom of the pan to easily lift out the bread.

In a mixing bowl beat the mashed bananas, EVOO, vanilla extract, and the eggs.

In another mixing bowl stir all the dry ingredients together to combine, then slowly beat into batter.

Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean, this is my favorite way to test baked goods.