Last week I ran on my treadmill without wanting to blow up a building full of bunnies. Running inside on that hamster wheel makes me more angry than having to share my cupcakes. Usually I can’t stay on the treadmill for more than 3 miles, but I did and the run was actually very enjoyable. I was able to punch dance to some good music too.
To celebrate this running success (because I will find a reason to celebrate anything) I decided to bake! I haven’t baked in two months. That’s two months too long. After seeing some bananas in my kitchen that were on their last days of life, I knew what to bake. I had enough bananas to bake TWO variations of banana bread. One to honor summer, and one to move forward into fall..aka the best season..aka pumpkin central..aka I CAN’T WAIT!
“Hanging Onto Summer” Blueberry Banana Bread
- 3 large overly ripe bananas
- 2 tblsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup raspberry honey*
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
*I use honey in my baking, for a true vegan recipe use agave or molasses.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray or wipe a 9×5-inch loaf pan with oil.
- Mix the almond milk with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and let sit until it curdles.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas and add the remaining lemon juice, almond milk, and honey. Stir well to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and stir just until the mixture is well-combined. Fold in the blueberries.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
“Moving Forward to Fall” Pumpkin Cinnamon Banana Bread
- 2 overly ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- chia seed “egg” (1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/8 cup water)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tblsp cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mash banana and then add the melted coconut oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla, chia seed “egg” and mix together.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine. Then add the cinnamon and stir.
- Pour into 4 small loaf pans, and then sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top of each loaf. Bake for 50 minutes.
The pumpkin cinnamon loaves made my entire house smell like fall! I will be making this version again very soon. It was hands down my favorite. If I could make some changes I would have baked the blueberry bread in the four loaf pan as well to help minimize chewiness. Overall this was a successful 3.5 hrs in the kitchen.
Q: What’s your favorite version of banana bread?
Blissfulbritt 
73 thoughts on “Hanging On and Moving Forward”
pjsassifras
I love chocolate chips and cinnamon in my banana bread – vegan or not. Chocolate chips & cinnamon. I’m resisting the “Make Pumpkin Everything” call best I can. I’m sooooo ready for fall. Damn you & your delicious looking pumpkin bread!!!! (shakes fist)
Britta
You posted about a minute ago… clearly I am an eager beaver. First things first – I am coming over for breakfast so just SIT TIGHT a few hours! ahhhh, love the blueberry loaf, but of course without question I am drooling over the pumpkin one! COME ON FALL. I seriously cannot wait either and just want it to rain (for a day or so) to get me even more in the mood! I love that your recipes always work out perfectly without adding eggs – mine usually fail 😀 Booyah! …erm, and I just realized I haven’t baked since March – uber fail.
kathy @ vodka and soda
i make banana and walnut muffins with whole wheat flour and it’s so yummy!
i also loathe the treadmill. i have a top of the line treadmill that makes me so mad whenever i look at it (because i spent all that money!). i just use the bars for chest dips and to hang my towel.
Erin
Why have you not baked in 2 months!?!?! You should be baking every day girl! And these both look fabulous!
Brittany
Ugh I know!! The desire to bake/cook is just NOT there for me these days!! WORST THING EVER!
Life After Swimming
Raspberry honey?! WHAT?! Those both sound absolutely perfect!
thoughtsappear
I’ve never thought about mixing blueberries and bananas. Yum!
spectacuLAUR
I love banana bread with all of my heart ❤ My favorite is Oh She Glow's Rustic Banana Bread. It is HANDS DOWN my favorite recipe of all time!
Change of Pace
Mmmm- the pumpkin banana bread sounds awesome- thanks for sharing the recipe!
I think I’ll make that one soon! I have a couple different recipes I like to use, but it’s always nice to mix it up!
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen
I adore banana bread and would never thought of blueberries! Your loaves look so raised and crispy topped!! It’s morning here.. wish I could cut off a slice and slather it with butter! And pumpkin!! I knew fall was good for something!! xx
Megan
Dude quick baking and making me drool. I think the first thing I do when I scoop you from the airport is that we are going to go raid at minimum two different grocery stores and if you have never been to Wegmans we will go there. We will stock up the house and be baking and cooking fiends.
Brittany
DEAL, let’s DOOO IT! I actually don’t think I have ever been to a Wegmans..we don’t have them in WA! I don’t think?
Ashlee@HisnHers
Ok I can’t decide which I want! Blueberry or Cinnamon, Summer or Fall! Why can’t we just have it all? 😉
makingthymeforhealth
Blow up a building full of bunnies?! That’s hilarious, especially considering you are vegan. The treadmill totally feels like a hamster wheel- I completely agree.
This bread looks amazing. I love that you didn’t add any sugar!
chasingchels
Omg you just put me in the biggest fall mood ever and ensured that i get both pumpkin and bananas at the store this weekend. I am soooo trying this recipe next week!! Yay for dancing with your arm on the hamster wheel and not punching anybody 😉 i’ll be interested to see how i do when i finally have to use that thing in the winter!
Catherine @ A Two Storey Home
Ooh yum. I’m pretty sure I could eat either of those loaves in one sitting.
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
Ha! Oh I’m loving this “in-betweeny” seasonal baking thing you’ve got going here 😉 My favorite version of banana bread involves chocolate, buuuuut the blueberry and lemon combo is a real winner too. And please leave the bunnies be… their fuzzy cuteness makes me happy.
PNWRunner
I love love love all versions of banana bread. Pumpkin does make me feel like fall, but I don’t know if I can jump on that band wagon yet. Maybe by mid September I will finally acknowledge that summer is ending. Boo! I’ll let you know how it turns out! 😉
Becky
I am with you on treadmills. Usually I run outside but had to do a 7 miler on a treadmill because I was traveling and didn’t want to mess up my training schedule. It felt like the longest run of my LIFE.
Brittany
OK 7 miles would make me die…I have only maxed out at 5 miles on mine..all other runs must be outside haha. Way to get it done!
Becky
Aw thank you! That was in the middle of marathon training. Usually I max out at around 5 as well. I just started a half marathon program, so longer runs are coming again. I’m nervous!
Amy
Ohhhh my gosh Brittany, I can’t STAND running on a treadmill either! If I HAD to run inside, I’d use the elliptical machines, and even then, I’d have to plug in headphones and close my eyes to keep myself from staring at the screen and thinking, “Only 1 mile? Only 1.2 miles? Only 1.4 miles? How much longer do I have to go??” I’m sure I looked like a complete idiot with my eyes closed, but at least I couldn’t see all of the strange stares I was getting from other people! 😉
I love your versions of banana bread!! I haven’t done much tinkering with banana bread before… But your question reminded me of when I made pineapple zucchini bread! Probably my favorite rendition of that flavor. 🙂
Amalia
I legitimately continuously look forward to your posts… I love that you ran without wanting to blow up bunnies *chuckles*
You should send some of that motivation my way!
Also I love banana bread… but Manfriend always eats all the bananas before they can brown. I’m going to have to buy a bunch to just brown sometime soon.
alex@vegginout
I would so much rather run outside than on the treadmill too! I don’t actually have a treadmill, but I do run on it at hotels and such, and it’s just so boring! Oh well, better than nothing…. I guess 😉
Ahhh I seriously need some banana bread now! I’m especially loving the pumpkin version… I’m so excited for pumpkin season too! I need to start using pumpkin so that I can realize that summer is in fact coming to an end ( 😦 ) and fall is just about here. I love fall, but I love summer just a touch more because of the whole no school thing. 😉 The cafeteria better have more pumpkin flavored foods this year!!!!!
kepotts
Mmmmm, banana bread…I love mine with chocolate chips, warm & topped with some cream cheese! And YAY running, anywhere it may occur!
acrusteaten
I still don’t understand why people run. And even less why they enjoy it. Blueberry banana bread though? That I get.
ahellams
I swear sometime we may be related. I made zucchini bread yesterday and was in absolute heaven. And I freaking hate the treadmill. And I think blueberry banana bread is pretty much the best thing since, well, sliced bread!! Hope you are doing well!
Ashley
Ooooh man, these look DELICIOUS. I love pumpkin bread and I love blueberry muffins. These both sound like pretty tasty banana renditions. Now you’ve put me in the baking mood : ) Dag, seriously tasty looking. Also, feel your pain on treadmill running. It is THE WORST. Three miles is about my cap. I just get so bored. Haha, in fact I shelled out for the one gym in town that had an indoor track. Yup, I’d rather run 9 laps per mile than get on the hamster wheel : )
B.
Those look SO good! I’ll have to try the blueberry one because I love anything with blueberries or raspberries baked into it. Will fresh berries work just the same as frozen?
Brittany
OH YES! I actually would have preferred fresh, but I already had some frozen berries on hand. The fresh blueberries would be ideal.
Meredith
Yum those both look great. As a pumpkin lover, I need the pumpkin cinnamon version in my life! How much did can you taste the banana? I am not a big banana lover but if the taste isn’t too strong, I’m all for it!
Brittany
The banana flavor in the pumpkin bread is mild. The blueberry bread had a strong banana flavor though. You could always cut the banana down to 1 or 1.5 and use more pumpkin instead!
Meredith
awesome idea, thanks 🙂
allieksmith
PUNCH DANCING IS MY FAVORITE! I go so hard on the treadmill with punch dancing sometimes hahaha. It’s actually a little embarrassing. I also do finger dancing on the treadmill. Ok. Enough.
Can you come to my house and bake me both of those breads? They both look and sound so so so so so good!
Alex @ therunwithin
pumpkin and cinnamon have to be my favorite smells ever. my mom has always made banana bread for guests because she was well known hers! I bet you are the same.
Davida @The Healthy Maven
I have a costco sized box of blueberries in my fridge that need to be used up. Think I just found what I’ll be using them for 🙂
I’m a little depressed that fall is coming. The only redeeming quality is the fact that I’ll start craving soups again lol
P
I think both loaves look lovely! The pumpkin one sounds like something I’m craving more though!
letsgetupandlive
Running on a treadmill really doesn’t compare to running in nature. Fact. Lucky you for having success to a treadmill, though 🙂 – I’ll surely be jealous once it gets too cold to run outside.
Yes to making up reasons to celebrate! Now how about celebrating that you baked for the first time in month by baking some more ;)?! Feel free to mail me any leftover banana bread you need to get rid of before.
Heather @ HeatherRunsFast.com
The more blogs I read the more of a freak I think I am for not wanting to kill myself on treadmill runs. I trained for the Chicago marathon completely on the tready. Like, multiple run over 16 miles.
I still can’t believe it has been 2 months… SO unlike you! Next you should make a cream cheese frosting for the Pumpkin Cinnamon loaf 🙂 mmmmm! The only thing that would make the pumpkin bread better would be the addition of chocolate chips. I pretty much have this in the form of oatmeal for breakfast every day 🙂
Brittany
NO I would die training for a marathon on a treadmill. I would seriously rather be bitten by a dog. OK so that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea. I cannot imagine running 16+ miles you are craazzyyyyy, in the best way of course haha!!
Luv What You Do
You know how I love quick breads!
I am book marking this for sure!
sugarcoatedsheridan
Oh my goodness!! That looks so amazing!!
I feel the same way about the treadmill…Good for you!!
Khushboo Thadani (@KhushbooThadani)
Oh goodness I kinda wanna eat my screen- is that weird?? Both look SO delicious especially the blueberry variation! As much as I love simple banana cakes, loaves which incorporate walnuts & chocolate chips don’t hurt either….mmm!
Elizabeth
oh my tasty cakes I want some!! Definitely a successful day in the kitchen!!
An Unrefined Vegan
Fall version avec chocolate chips. It’s a good sign that you’re baking again :-).
Brittany
I think it’s a good sign too. 🙂
sincerelylily
Bananananananna bread – dis ist da best! I think my favorite I have made was with blueberries and chocolate chips mixed in! it was delicious. reading all the ingredients on these made me just realize that i have NONE of this in the new place. no sugar, extract, flour, nadda. I should go shopping this wekeend so I can re-create one of these – i am thinking pumpkin cinnomon banana bread all the way…..
my favorite thing about fall are pumpkins, by far! if the wedding was in the fall, there would be pumpkins everywhere, without a doubt.
I love that you survived a long deathmill run. they are the worst… ugh… but if you celebrate by baking like this, just might be worth it! xoxo
jessielovestorun
Pardon my language, but I literally said “Holy Shit!” when I saw the Pumpkin Cinnamon Banana Bread recipe. I want to dive face first into all four mini loafs.
dorseyml
Yum! Those breads look amazing!! Isn’t it funny how one totally different passion can inspire you to participate in another totally different passion… That happens to me all the time.
Rebekah @ fitnesscreatures
I will be hopping off the Paleo train for an evening in order to make and eat both of these. I love blueberries almost as much as I love pumpkin. You’re amazing for posting these. I think I’ll make them after another couple weeks of hard work in the gym. Great treat 🙂
jessiebearwhat
LOVE both of these recipes! Definitely bookmarking and sharing next week 🙂
Lucy @ Lucy On The Lookout
Yum yum Brittany, these both look fabulous! I have always been a banana bread fan (and agree that blueberries & bananas are an awesome combo!) but have never baked with pumpkin (am always jealous of all the autumn recipes involving pumpkins on all these lovely US blogs!!) – something I’m going to have to rectify this fall! I am not looking forward to the treadmill once the weather gets cooler, I can’t believe I used to be a treadmill fiend ! Way to go on aceing it with no angry issues though 😉
Brittany
YOU MUST bake with pumpkin this year, MUST! I am ordering that upon you.
Heather @Pinkaholic Fitness
Mm these look so yummy!! I love all banana breads!
Happy I found your blog on PNW Runner’s page! : )
Amy @ A Desert Girl
Both of those look delish!! I’ll have to try the first recipe fo shizzle. I am not a fan of pumpkin (IknowI’msorrycanwestillbefriends??), but the second LOOKS tempting enough to win me over for a taste….
Lauren
Oh man, this bread looks amazing. I just pinned it for future reference!! 🙂
di @ life of di.
I love this recipe 🙂 Will have to make some banana bread with my spotted bananas! Also, I cannot wait for pumpkin central time to (officially) arrive. Not too much longer! YEAH YEAH!
Mary
I am a runner that does not like bananas. Possibly the only runner in the world. But the blueberries might sway me to try bananas in a recipe…I like them in smoothies!
I have discovered that the only way that it is possible to run on a treadmill is by putting trashy TV on in the background. The trashier the better and the rubbishness of it all takes your mind right off of the boredom of not actually going anywhere on a treadmill.
The Healthy Flavor
I don’t like banana bread unfortunately because I don’t like a strong taste of banana, but this blueberry looks delicious. Especially that raspberry honey?! Never heard of that! I also am so excited about cooking with pumpkin again! These both look so gorgeous!
kadeecramer
I can’t WAIT for fall. Pumpkin all the things!!
Kammie
I AM loving this bread. I am a big fan of banana bread, this is totally a winner! 🙂
Meghan @ fitnesscrEATures
I am beyond thrilled that you posted these because my beautiful roomie and co blogger REBEKAH will be making it this weekend and I will reap ALL of the benefits of the fruits of her labor and your labor. So, prematurely, I thank you for sharing! 🙂
Have a great weekend!
Brittany
Bahaha whoo hoooo!! Let me know how you guys like it!
Eating 4 Balance
I can’t believe that you posted both of these amazing recipes in one post! Gah. I want ALL the bread 😛
I think my favorite version of banana bread is just plain banana bread, no nuts or cinnamon. Cooking Light has a peanut butter version though which I think sounds terrific.
Jan @ Sprouts n Squats
I love banana bread and both those breads look delicious!! 🙂
Melissa @ Al Forno Mementos
……….. so I’ll send you my address and you’ll send me some goodness? hmm … sound good!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
It’s too soon for fall. No pumkin, not yet anyway. But, I will take some of those delicious blueberries, even if the bread is, as you say, “Chewy.” I like chewy things so I’d be happy to take this off your hands for you. I’m a good friend like that. I will also run on a treadmill next to you and do crazy fist bumps if it helps.
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Rach @ This Italian Family
I am pretty sure I need to make both of these as soon as I fly home! They look so good!
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chouinardc
I make banana bread all the time… but this… looks absolutely mouth-watering.
Daisoulala
Wow this blog post has aged well!! I will be recreating this at home to keep me occupied 🙂