Banana Strawberry Bread: The Best Use for Old Bananas

by Sarah Ganly

If you are like me you buy fruit with the intentions to eat all of it, but a week or so goes by and the fruit starts to get old. The banana has turned brown and the strawberries are a little too soft, but there are ways of putting that old fruit to good use.

I recently tried this recipe when I had a bunch of old strawberries and a very old banana. The interesting part of this recipe is that the older the banana the better because it will become sweeter with time. Here is my new favorite banana strawberry bread recipe; it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

First the ingredients you will need are one and half cup of flour, half a cup of white sugar, one third cup of brown sugar, one egg, one and a half teaspoons of baking powder, a teaspoon of lemon juice, a very old banana, about 10 strawberries (they can be old as well as long as they are not moldy), one fourth a cup of oil, a handful of granola or cereal, and one fourth a cup of water.

Now that you have all of your ingredients you are ready to create this delicious dessert. Combine all ingredients in a bowl except for the banana, strawberries, and granola. I like to chop up the strawberries and mush the banana, but you can put them in a food processor if you like. Fold in the bananas and strawberries making sure to mix it well. The concoction will be a little lumpy but that is good. Next you will pour the mixture into a pan that has been greased and floured. Sprinkle the granola on the top of the mix. Finally bake the fruity treat in a preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. The oven should be preheated at 350 degrees.

For a twist on this bread recipe add some almonds or some pineapple chunks. If you are going to add pineapple chunks make sure to add less water to your mix. This bread is sweet and delicious, and the granola adds a tasty crunch to the end.

You can serve this bread warm with butter or ice cream, but no matter what you do this bread will be scrumptious. So next time you see that old brown banana sitting in your fridge don't throw it away! Turn that unwanted banana into a treat that you and your family can enjoy.