Keeping It Clean, Quiet, and Easy

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Strawberry Banana Loaf Recipe 

Bring the sweet flavors and fragrant aromas of summer to your kitchen all year long with this simply heavenly strawberry banana loaf recipe. 

As delicious as a dessert, but packed with healthy, fresh fruit, this tasty variation on a traditional banana bread recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth without all the guilt.

We love this vibrant, aromatic fruit bread as a casual afternoon snack or fancied up with fresh cream for dessert after the evening meal. It is also great to pair with cold brew.

Make It As Healthy As You Like

Mix and match the fruit content, or add other fruit, for a smorgasbord of fruit orchard flavor, or change some of the other ingredients, like the type of flour, to make an even healthier version of this decadent quick bread recipe. You can even add dried fruit or nuts to this recipe for added texture, flavor, and nutrients. 

Your kids will never know you’re sneaking fresh fruit into their diets via a yummy sweet bread that tastes like cake. 

Strawberry and bananas on plate.

From Prep To Bake In Under An Hour

Grab a loaf pan, some fresh strawberries and ripe bananas, and a few ingredients you already have in your pantry, and you’re well on your way to having this sweet, fresh strawberry banana bread prepped and baked in only 45 minutes! 

This recipe is so quick, and so versatile, that you can easily make it in a pinch for unexpected company or an event you forgot to prepare for. 

Double Or Triple It With Ease

This recipe makes up well doubled or even tripled, and if you’ve got a family, you’re probably going to want more than one loaf. 

It even freezes well stored in an airtight container, so you can have delicious, summer-ripe fruit bread all year long. 

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40-45 minutes 
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups and 1 TBS all purpose flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup butter, softened
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 Cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1 Cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 Cup fresh strawberries, sliced

Before You Begin:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a nine by 5-inch loaf pan or line the entire pan with parchment paper. Gather the rest of your equipment and ingredients. 
  2. Wash, hull, and slice your fresh strawberries. Toss the sliced strawberries with the extra tablespoon of flour. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure they’ve had adequate time to thaw. Drain excess liquid from frozen fruits before adding them. 
  3. Mash the ripe bananas using a fork, potato masher, or a blender. 

Method:

  1. Over a mixing bowl, sift in one and a half cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Combine the dry ingredients thoroughly using a wooden spoon. 
  2. In a separate, larger bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla, and sugar using an electric mixer on a low to a medium setting until fluffy and well combined. 
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend in on the lowest setting. Add the mashed bananas and stir them in with a wooden spoon until combined. 
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring them in with the wooden spoon until everything is well combined. Add the sliced strawberries and fold into the batter. 
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and put the pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. 
  6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan until it reaches room temperature before turning it onto a cutting board to slice. 

This bread smells so good baking that it will be hard to resist eating it hot out of the oven! But you really will want to let it cool first, so that it doesn’t stick to the pan when you’re ready to slice it. 

Fruits in a basket.

Variations

  1. Swap half (or all) of the strawberries for fresh blueberries, sweet cherries, or pineapple chunks. You can also use a variety of frozen or canned fruits in this recipe. Frozen fruit should be thoroughly thawed with excess liquid drained, and canned fruit should be drained before adding it to the batter. 
  2. Add half a cup of dried fruit, such as cranberries or cherries, to add flavor and texture to the bread. You can also add a fourth of a cup of chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts, to the batter. 
  3. Substitute part or all of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat, almond flour, or another flour of your choice for additional nutritional benefits, such as added fiber and protein. 
  4. To make the recipe dairy-free, you can use vegetable oil, margarine, or plant-based spread in place of the butter. To reduce the fat content, replace the butter with Greek yogurt, fat-free vanilla yogurt or light sour cream. 
  5. If you’re watching your refined sugar intake, you can replace the sugar with part or all sweetener, honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. Using all-natural fruit juice, such as apple or prune, in place of the butter can also add sweetness to the recipe. But bear in mind that juice will generally alter the overall flavor of the bread. 
  6. Need a quick dessert for company? Top slices of this fruity bread with fresh whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or Vanilla ice cream for a fun spin on the strawberry shortcake. 
  7. Plan a strawberry themed child’s tea party around this bread. Create little pretty little open sandwiches by spreading slices with cream cheese and topping them with thinly sliced strawberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, or pineapple. Then of course, add it with healthy dose of tea.