Of course, I love to visit farmer’s markets and my local produce market.  I really do believe in enjoying fruit and vegetables seasonally, and supporting local agriculture as much as possible.  But I am not ashamed to admit that I also check out the discount produce bin at the grocery store.  You do what you need to do.  This week, I found an incredible deal: 10 very ripe bananas, packaged together and priced at just $1.  This meant, of course, that I had to make banana bread.

It seems a shame that I don’t have a single banana bread recipe on the blog.  My grandmother made banana bread all.the.time and it’s always been one of my favorites.  I decided to make this Crackly Banana Bread from Smitten Kitchen, which aims to make a bread that is more suitable for breakfast with fruit, whole grains, and less sugar.  The “crackle” comes from uncooked millet.  Now, I didn’t want to get a deal on bananas and then spend a lot on millet.  But it was pretty cheap to buy just 1/4 c. of millet from the bulk bins at Whole Foods.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, most notably using canola oil instead of coconut oil, and switching up the spices a bit.  Everything worked out well, and I loved the crackle!  This is a really moist banana bread, which supposedly keeps for a week.  You could enjoy this banana bread as a treat for breakfast, perhaps paired with some nonfat plain yogurt, but I know my grandmother would be eating it in the afternoon with a cup of coffee.

Crackly Banana Bread

4 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1/3 c. canola oil
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. uncooked millet

In a large bowl, mix bananas, egg, oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Add baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.  Add flour and stir just until combined.  Stir in millet.  Pour batter into a 9″x5″ loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool on a wire rack before removing from pan.

-Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• breads