Cake is a clean eating enemy! But it made for a fun picture :)

There’s something about baking that makes me feel like a 1950’s housewife – I love it! Cakes and cookies aren’t the healthiest options (even though there are ways to make them clean too!), so today we’ll start with one of my favorites: banana bread with almonds and dried cranberries!

My banana bread recipe is a mashup of clean eating recipes I’ve experimented with along the way (I started with the Sensibly Fit‘s version – they always post great ideas! The majority of this recipe is from there!). Feel free to change things around!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 slightly beaten egg whites
3 large (mashed) bananas
3/4 cup agave nectar
pinch of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Spray an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

A cranberry-free version!

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, flaxeed, and sea salt. Mix in 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup dried cranberries (save the rest!).
3. In a separate bowl, combine egg whites, banana and agave nectar. Then add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir well. The mixture will be lumpy – don’t go crazy with the stirring! Pour mixture into pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the rest of your almonds and dried cranberries on top. Resume baking for another 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Let bread cool for 15 minutes, then enjoy!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below! And be sure to check out Sensibly Fit!