Strawberry Banana Bread

Strawberries (and blueberries) (and bananas) are probably my favorite fruit. I snatch them up quickly and to extreme excess during prime strawberry season, the spring and summer months. I devour these sweet, juicy berries and then freeze whatever I can’t eat to consume for later.

My daily strawberry consumption is either in a smoothie or fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I then consume this or even this fruit salad at least once a week.

My other, almost daily fruit consumption is bananas. Straight up, topped with peanut butter or thrown in a smoothie or bowl of plain Jane Cheerios; bananas come and go in our house like candy. But as quickly as I try to consume this inexpensive fruit, I always have two bananas that go too far past my liking. So I freeze them, to make smoothies or banana bread (or these cupcakes or this baked oatmeal); but because no one makes traditional banana bread like my Momma, I have to do something different.

So earlier this summer, when I had more strawberries than even I knew what to do with and a few ripe bananas just lying around, I knew I had to combine the two. Into bread. To be consumed. By me.

Strawberry and bananas go together like peanut butter and chocolate. This bread was incredibly moist (see cooking and storing tips in recipe below) and highlighted each flavor profile perfectly, with neither out shining the other.

And while I know strawberry season is almost over, quickly grab up some of these crimson beauties and whip up this bread one afternoon. If heaven forbid, fresh strawberries are no longer in your neck of the woods, frozen sliced strawberries (NOT in syrup) can be used, without thawing beforehand.

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Strawberry Banana Bread

By Heather of Kitchen Concoction: www.kitchen-concoctions.com

Printable Version

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 40-45 minutes Makes: 2 (9 x 5 inch) loaves, 4 (5 3/4 x 3 x 2) loafs or 12 muffins

½ cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas, approximately
3 bananas

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 4 (5 3/4 x 3 x 2) inch mini loaf pans (or prefered size pans).

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then beat in bananas, yogurt and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 ¾ cups flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder; mix well. Beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

Place sliced strawberries in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with remaining flour, and toss to evenly to coat. Gently stir strawberries into batter. Divide batter into prepared pans.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes (adjust cooking times based on size pans using). Cool bread in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Cut around bread at short ends to loosen from pan. Turn bread out onto rack. Cool bread completely. Serve immediately.

Note: Due to the moisture of the bananas and strawberries this bread is best eaten within a day or two of baking. Leftover bread can then be frozen and thawed to room temperature or in the microwave.