Lighter Blueberry Banana Bread with Chia Seeds
This Lighter Blueberry Banana Bread with Chia Seeds is a satisfying twist on a classic banana bread recipe. It is made with healthier ingredients like greek yogurt and olive oil. And it can be made with fresh or frozen blueberries.
You can never have too many banana bread recipes! From carrot cake banana bread, to pumpkin banana bread, to espresso chocolate chip banana bread to strawberry banana bread, there are just too many variations to be made.
That is why we love this lighter banana blueberry bread. It’s soft, scrumptious, and full of juicy blueberries on the inside. It has the most lovely hard chia seed crust on the outside. Delish! It is a fruity version of our favorite banana bread recipe.
Why this recipe works
- It has extra protein from the greek yogurt. Try our greek yogurt banana bread for another recipe that uses it to add fluffiness.
- It has the most wonderful crunchy top thanks to the chia seeds.
- It is simple to put together.
- You can easily add fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries.
- It is a crowd pleaser. Our husband and toddlers loved it!
Recipe Ingredients
- cane sugar– we used an organic cane sugar for this recipe.
- olive oil– a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- eggs– these help bind the bread together.
- bananas– make sure they are ripe to get the most banana flavor in your bread.
- greek yogurt– any percentage works.
- flour– an all purpose flour works great in this recipe.
- baking soda– this helps with the bread rising.
- blueberries– either frozen or fresh blueberries.
- chia seeds– these add a nice crunch and extra Omega-3s to the bread.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions/Substitutions
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of greek yogurt, you can use sour cream
- Instead of blueberries, you can use any other type of berry.
- Instead of cane sugar, you can use maple sugar or coconut sugar.
- You can omit the chia seeds.
Step by step instructions
Step 1
Step 1: Mix the olive oil, eggs, mashed bananas, greek yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl.
Step 2
Step 2: In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together.
Step 3:
Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients.
Step 4:
Step 4: Fold in the blueberries and chia seeds.
Step 5
Step 5: Pour the banana bread batter into a greased loaf tin and top with chia seeds.
Step 6
Step 6: Bake!
Recipe FAQs
Can we use frozen blueberries in this banana bread?Yes! If you are using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them out. Just add them frozen and cook the batter immediately.
How do you store this blueberry banana bread?In an airtight container on the kitchen counter for 3-4 days.
Prep 10 minutesCook 1 hour 5 minutesTotal 1 hour 15 minutesMakes 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 Tablespoon chia seeds, divided
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan/tin. (we grease ours with olive oil spray). Line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the olive oil, eggs, mashed bananas, greek yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a fork.
- In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
- Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients.
- Fold the blueberries and 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds into the batter. ( If adding frozen blueberries, do not thaw, just add them frozen).
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds of chia seeds on top of the banana bread.
- Bake for for 60-70 mins, until toothpick comes out clean. If you notice the top of the banana bread is getting too brown, top the banana bread with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
Notes
- Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
- Instead of greek yogurt , you can use sour cream
- Instead of blueberries , you can use any other type of berry.
- You can omit the chia seeds.
