100% Whole Wheat Coconut Oil* Banana Bread

For the two loaves pictured, I doubled the following recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar (I used 3/4 cup raw honey)
• 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil* (My note about this is at the bottom)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (5-6 medium)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used a tiny bit less)
• 1 and 2/3 cups 100% whole wheat flour (Next time, for an experiment, I'm going to try the coconut flour I have on hand.)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnut halves)
• 1 cup shredded coconut (The coconut I used was very 'fine'.)

Here's a photo of the 'shredded' coconut that I used...

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Grease the bottom only of one 9x5" loaf pan.  (For just in case, I greased pan bottom and also put one sheet of parchment paper in just the bottom of the pan and greased that.)  Set aside.
• Mix sugar (I used raw honey) and coconut oil until well blended.  With using the honey, I was very surprised to see I had a very 'thick/white mixture' when I first combined the two but I kept the 'beater' going until it was very smooth/well blended-- until the two started to 'behave' and 'get along'!
• Add mashed bananas and water, mix well.
• Add baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix in evenly/well.
• Add flour and mix ONLY until all is just moistened.
• Stir in nuts and coconut.
• Pour into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake until toothpick or sharp knife inserted in the middle of loaf comes out clean-- this will be about one hour.

Let it cool for about five minutes; loosen edges with knife and remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

I adapted this recipe from a site with free coconut recipes.  It was originally submitted by Rachel of Costa Rica.

*Through the years, there's been 'hoopla' about coconut oil.  First, it was safe.  Then, it wasn't.  Then, it is, again.   When I did the following 'GOOGLING', this is what came up:

• Coconut Oil Benefits: 4,820,000 sites
• Canola Oil Benefits:  1,050,000 sites
• Olive Oil Benefits:  3,370,000
• Butter Benefits:  42,700,000
• Coconut Oil Dangers:  522,000
• Canola Oil Dangers:  132,000
• Olive Oil Dangers:  1,410,000
• Butter Dangers:  5,110,000

The percentage of 'dangers' sites vs. 'benefits' sites of each is probably the most interesting.  Still,... could some of the information on the sites be considered 'suspect' because of the writer having a biased opinion in order to promote another product?  Well,... for what it's worth, you can look/read for yourself.  So,...

Do the 'Google' for yourself, read away and draw your own conclusions-- there is SO MUCH information available on the pros and cons of almost everything.  More information, I think, than any human could ever cover!   I just know that through the years, I faithfully used canola oil and olive oil-- now, as I've aged, I question the smartness of my relying on canola oil as much as I did.

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What can I say!?!?!   The two slices were just...................really that good!