This post is brought to you by Chiquita Banana. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Cozy Country Living.
I am always deciding to bake things last minute. Maybe the weather has suddenly become windy or there’s rain pouring down outside and the skies have darkened- in any of these scenarios, I like to bake. I like to call it comfort baking! Something fresh and warm from the oven adds a little coziness to our home and something delicious on our plates. This week the air has been crisp and the clouds have been gray. Perfect for baking a loaf of this scrumptious Spiced Apple & Banana Oatmeal Bread that I am entering in the Chiquita Cooking Lab Recipe Contest!
There are certain ingredients that I always have on hand. Bananas, Apples and Oatmeal are a few of them. Since my children have been back to school for over a month now, I really am enjoying making homemade breakfasts and snacks with good, healthy ingredients for them. Since we are into the beautiful season of Fall, this bread is filled will all of those delicious, warm baking spices too.
Sweet, ripe bananas and freshly chopped apples are sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, then mixed into a hearty oatmeal, buttermilk batter to give you a moist loaf of bread that won’t last very long in a house full of hungry kiddos.
You may have noticed on a recent trip to the grocery store, that the Chiquita Bananas your family knows and loves have an additional blue sticker on them. This sticker is for Chiquita’s Cooking Lab Recipe Contest! That’s right! Until November 24th, you can share your best, tasty banana recipe with #ChiquitaCookingLab and one winner will be chosen each week to win $4,000!
The winner’s recipes will be turned into a stop motion video and promoted on Chiquita’s digital and social channels. Four random winners will also be chosen weekly to receive a Chiquita gift bag. Entering the contest is easy! Simply submit your recipe on the contest website (Chiquitabananas.com/cookinglab) or through the official Chiquita FanFun app. You can even enter a new recipe every week, if you want to!
I think we buy 6 bunches of bananas a week. I know that seems like a lot, but we go through them like crazy! We love bananas on our cereal, for snacks and of course in yummy quick breads like this one!
If you’ve got some fresh apples and a few extra ripe bananas after creating and entering your own recipe in the Chiquita Cooking Lab Recipe Contest, give this simple but wonderful Spiced Apple & Banana Oatmeal Bread a try! It might even become a new family favorite!
With Chiquita, eating well really does pay off! Enter your recipe!
For more great Banana recipe ideas follow #ChiquitaCookingLab!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup freshly chopped apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the oatmeal and the buttermilk, and let sit.
- Sift the flour, soda, powder and salt and set aside.
- In your Kitchen Aid Mixer, beat the butter with the sugars until fluffy.
- Add the applesauce, eggs and egg whites one at a time and beat well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla and mix.
- Add the mashed bananas and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients, then the cinnamon and nutmeg, then the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Don't forget to scrape down the bowl to make sure everything gets blended well.
- Fold in the chopped apple.
- Evenly fill 2 large or 3 medium, greased loaf pans with the batter.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes or completely on a wire rack before removing the bread from the loaf pan.
- Serve with fresh butter.
- *If freezing: Let cool completely and wrap well in plastic wrap and store in a plastic freezer bag.
*Linking up at Best Blog Recipes, The New Mrs. Adventures, Living Well Spending Less, Buns In My Oven, Feeding Big
Just wanted to say, I loved this recipe and am excited to add it to my favorites! Anxiously waiting for fall and this cured my hankering! I subbed buttermilk with my homemade kefir and it was divine. Thanks!
Thanks so much Melissa! I’m glad you liked it! Fall is my favorite season, so I am anxiously awaiting it as well- so many wonderful colors, activities and of course comforting foods! I hope you are having a great week:)
This bread looks really good! I will make this….pinned!
Thank you Kathi! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Yum, this looks delicious, I love both banana and apple breads and this sounds like a wonderful combination. And what a fun contest, I’m going to enter, thanks for sharing!
Joy @ Joy Love Food recently posted…Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy
Thanks so much Joy! This actually turned out even better than I expected, so we are going to be making it more often! Good luck with the contest! 🙂