Banana bread is one of those classic foods. Like a hamburger, caesar salad, or a chocolate chip cookie. They’re each excellent in their true, original form, and there’s a million different ways to doctor them up.
And so, here I present to you this whole wheat blueberry swirl version! 
What makes this version special? The blueberry swirl. What puts it over the top? The blueberry glaze. Drool.
If you don’t feel like going all out black tie, you can leave off the glaze. But come on. Don’t be that person who shows up to black tie event in a cocktail dress when everybody else is wearing a ball gown. Just MAKE THE GLAZE! Even make it ahead of time like I did.
You won’t be sorry, and neither will your friends and family (if it even gets past your mouth first).
Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Blueberry Glaze
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Banana bread never gets old, especially when you swirl it with blueberries and glaze it with a matching sauce. Adapted from Beard and Bonnet
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut oil
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup (45 g) old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) almond milk
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
Blueberry Swirl Syrup
- 3 cups (435 g) fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
Blueberry Glaze
- 3-4 tbsp of the blueberry syrup
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl beat the oil, sugar, and eggs until well combined. Mix in the yogurt and blend well. Add the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the milk and bananas.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drop 3 tsp of the blueberry syrup on top of the batter. One at one end, one in the middle, and one at the other end. Using a wooden skewer, swirl the blueberry syrup into the batter. Pour the rest of the batter on top and drop 3 more tsp of the blueberry syrup on top and swirl as described above.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Blueberry Swirl Syrup
- In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium/low and cook until berries have released their juices and mixture has reduced a bit and becomes slightly thick. About 20-30 minutes. Stir frequently. Use a potato masher to help smash the berries, or simply use the back of a wooden spoon.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the blueberry mixture into the strainer. Gently press on the solids with a spatula to extract all of the syrup then discard the solids. Allow the syrup to cool then store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or use immediately.
Blueberry Glaze
- Whisk the blueberry syrup and the powdered sugar in a small bowl until completely combined and no lumps remain. If the mixture seems too thick you can add an additional tsp at a time of syrup to thin it out. You don’t want it to be too thin or it will all run off of the bread!
- Place the cooled bread on a cooling rack with paper towels or a plate underneath the rack to catch the drips. Pour the glaze evenly across the top of the bread and allow it to drizzle down the sides. Leave the bread undisturbed for 15-20 minutes for the glaze to set.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 290
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen blueberries for the blueberry glaze?
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries; just make sure to thaw and drain them before blending to achieve the right consistency for the glaze.
How ripe should the bananas be for the whole wheat banana bread?
The bananas should be very ripe, with brown spots on the skin, as this will provide the best flavor and natural sweetness for the bread.
What technique can I use to achieve a good swirl with the blueberry mixture?
To create a nice swirl, gently fold the blueberry mixture into the banana bread batter using a knife or skewer, taking care not to overmix.
