Stevia Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Roosie's Note:

According to www.rochestergoodfood.com, this recipe won a red ribbon at the 1987 Arizona State Fair. Stevia is a South American herb that is virtually calorie-free and hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar. Look for it at your local health food store or at Trader Joe's.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 1.0 loaf

• 1/4 cup melted butter or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup ripe banana, smooshed or mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon stevia powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup nuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together butter/oil, bananas, vanilla, eggs, and milk.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, soda, stevia, salt).
4. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Fold in the nuts.
6. Pour into pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes to set, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Reviews

[Geniale Genie]

After reading other reviews, I added a little extra stevia (1-1/2 tsp total). I also changed the order I prepared the cake: I beat the butter (I used oil), bananas (I didn't measure, I just used 3 medium-sized), vanilla, eggs & stevia until light and fluffy; then I added the flour (mixed w/ baking soda & salt), alternating with the milk. Oh, and I added extra nuts (probably double). Only required 50 minutes of baking.

[arose]

I love this recipe! I added extra banana (almost double), and used applesauce instead of butter. I used half whole wheat and half spelt. It turned out very moist, sweet and delicious! A new favorite!

[Heatherlow]

I haven't eaten sugar in more than 6 months so was intrigued to try a bit of baking withy kids that I could also try. I read reviews and decided, as some said, to try extra stevia. I now wish I had stuck with the original amount, as they are very sweet (I made the batter into muffins instead) and with the particular intensity that stevia carries, it is a bit more than I can handle. That said, I'm pretty desensitized to sweet, so it might not bother others....