In addition to my spoiling spinach this weekend, I had some bananas that were getting a tad too ripe. Not even my trusty peanut butter could save them. What was a girl to do?!

I racked my brain and ravaged my cookbooks and Alas! Banana bread was just what the chef ordered.

Tip: Quick breads are a great use for many ripe fruits and veggies. Bananas, zucchini, carrots, apples, and blueberries just to name a few. Plus, quick breads are versatile. I like to enjoy a slice for breakfast with a cup of hot tea, but they also make a scrumptious dessert when heated and topped with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Recipe: Mini banana date nut bread (recipe adapted from Southern Living and Cooking Light)

1/4 cup flax seeds
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Couple dashes nutmeg
1/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a mini loaf pan with cooking spray.

Place flax seeds in a blender and grind until fine. Remove flax meal from blender and set aside. Place dates in blender and pulse until roughly chopped. Remove and set aside. Place walnuts in blender and pulse until roughly chopped. Put in bowl with dates and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk or stir together banana, apple sauce,vegetable oil, honey, and eggs just till combined. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, flax meal, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in banana mixture. Stir till almost combined. Add dates and walnuts and stir just till combined and no flour pockets remain.

Pour batter into the loaf pan and place in oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for ten minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely and enjoy or cut a slice immediately and top with vanilla ice cream for a tasty dessert.

NOTE: If you don’t have applesauce, just use one more banana. I used the applesauce because I only had two bananas.

The measurements above make a mini loaf. I like it so much that I always make the full size. Here are the measurements for an 8 x 4-inch pan:

1/2 cup flax seeds
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup pitted dates
1 cup walnuts

Follow the directions above, but bake it for 55 minutes at 350 degrees and check the center with a wooden pick.

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