This post was sponsored by the California Prune Board
This tasty banana bread has a bonus ingredient in it, juicy prunes! All the flavor of your favorite banana bread with chunks of delicious California Prunes!
With the whole nation in a baking frenzy right now, I think it’s a great time to be trying new things and perfecting your baking skills. Most home bakers have made some kind of sweet loaf bread at some point and banana bread has always been high on the list of popular recipes to bake. But that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment and add some other ingredients to the mix, and that’s exactly what I did with this easy version with sweet California Prunes. Not only does it totally taste great, the prunes keep the bread moist. By chopping up the prunes, your’re guaranteed prunes in every bite!
After attending a trip to see how California Prunes are harvested and processed, I learned so much more than I thought was possible about how this small fruit could be so versatile. From being a key ingredient in all sorts of recipes from savory to sweet, like these amazing chocolate chip cookies, to being the perfect on-the-go snack.
Prunes are healthy and a natural sweetener for many dishes. They’re also great for helping with those sudden hunger pains I know I get around lunchtime. A slice of this banana bread with prunes and a cup of coffee is my favorite snack!
How to make your banana bread with prunes
This is a very simple recipe with ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Begin by mixing the liquids together with the mashed banana and chopped prunes and then adding the dry ingredients to form a wet batter. I used an 8x4 inch loaf pan to bake my bread in but a 9x5 would also work.
The bread takes almost an hour to bake and needs some extra time to cool before cutting it into thick slices. My favorite way to eat this sweet bread is by spreading some good quality butter on each slice. Even though it’s a sweet bread, no yeast is needed to make it rise, this is done by the baking soda reaction giving it that nice crown in the center.
Storing your banana prune bread
I recommend using a gallon sized zip lock bag and sealing it to keep it moist for at least two days after baking. Wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap would also work just fine. You can freeze the bread for up to one month and defrost it at room temperature.
Visit California Prunes online at www.californiaprunes.org for more fantastic recipes or on social media @caprunes.
