I’m the girl that will stone-cold stare a banana into ripeness just so I can make banana bread.
Banana bread is just one of those things this girl has a crush on…. along with boys who open doors for me, handwritten letters, and kitten figurines.
This is how banana bread always starts… after a bowl of stale popcorn for breakfast and hot hot coffee. I’m living right. Obvi.
Two bowls. A whisk. Overripe bananas. Two loaf pans…
You have all this stuff, right?
Banana bread is so simple, so delicious, and it makes my house smell like life success. It makes me feel like I’m living right. It makes me hope I get to be 80 years old making this bread for the people I love. I’ll have wrinkled Grandma hands. I’m into it.
Let’s talk about millet. Millet is a gluten free seed. Yea… a seed.
Millet is used a lot in bird food… but it’s a totally healthy ingredient to throw into non bird related food. There’s calcium, fiber, B vitamins, and it’s easy to digest! It’s a good time food. On the real.
I added raw millet to the banana bread batter. Ps. I should have rinsed it. You should rinse yours. Does it cook completely when baked? Nope!.. and that’s the beauty of it! The millet stays slightly crunchy. It’s like having lots of walnut bits in your bread… without the walnut bits. It’s a really lovely and crunchy addition to this moist and flavorful bread.
Whole Wheat and Millet Banana Bread
makes 2 8×4-inch loaves
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 medium bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raw millet, rinsed
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, oil, sugars, and eggs. Beat until thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the vanilla, buttermilk, and mashed bananas. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in millet. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Carefully pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the batter together.
Divide the batter between the two prepared baking pans. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Banana bread will last, well wrapped at room temperature, for up to five days.
149 Responses
I have been making this bread forever, it is my absolute go-to for overripe bananas. But today I discovered a game-changer (inspired by another recipe on your site): this recipe with BROWNED BUTTER. Oh my goodness. Sooooooo good!
Hi Joy! I am volunteering at a workshop with senior citizens and kids next weekend. We are making little bird food decorations to hang outside to attract birds haha. And then we will make our own human snack to eat. This banana millet bread is perfect. Was thinking to turn them into muffins to bake faster. Do you think this recipe will yield 2 dozen muffins? Probably at least 18 muffins. (will credit you for the recipe!!)
awesome! you might want to 1 1/2 this recipe to make sure you have enough batter for the muffins. have the best time!
Thank you! I may do a test run this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Um best banana bread ever! I browned the butter (yes!) and used whole spelt for the whole meal flour and didn’t have n mllet on had, totally amazing!
This is so delicious! It is currently my favorite banana bread recipe! I also tried making it with coconut oil, but I think your recipe is best as is.
This is insanely good. I was afraid I was going to eat the whole loaf without stopping so I opened a dark beer and grated some ginger – these tastes/smells helped divert my attention for a while. I only ended up eating half the loaf. Phew! I omitted the granulated sugar bc my bananas were very sweet. This is perfectly moist without being wet and overly dense. Thanks for a perfect banana bread recipe!
I tried this recipe today and it’s delicious! I did make some substitutions (based on what I had) and posted a photo on my blog. If you’re curious, it’s here: https://adlinsadventures.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-recipe-challenge-whole-wheat-millet.html
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I just made a version of banana bread with millet, inspired by this recipe. It was delicious, as usual! Except I cut out a ton of the sugar, and I used part oil and part nonfat yogurt for moisture. It worked really well and it’s super healthy – there are like 200 calories and 5 grams of protein per slice! My version is here: https://indiedomestic.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/clean-eating-but-first-banana-bread/
Joy, thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I had a banana bread recipe which I have used for over 10 years and after baking this I will never use it again. This is the best banana bread I have ever eaten. I do love banana bread like you do, so I will try all of the other banana bread recipes you have and chose my favorite. I have been reading through your blog for long hours for the last few days and have bookmarked so many things to bake already. Thank you :)
Wondering why this is on the ‘gluten-free section’ page? :( I was looking for a gf banana bread recipe! Obviously, it is not gf with a ‘whole wheat flour’ and a ‘all-purpose flour.’ Sad.
looks like this was just placed in the wrong category. i’ll fix it. sorry!
I will write you letters if you let me know how! I live in the Bay and love millet and other things birds eat. And I think you’re neat! -Anna
hmmm!! this sound right up my street looking forward in trying this recipe :)
Dear Joy,
Not to be all sad and depressing on you…but I made this bread on a Wednesday night, then my niece passed away unexpectedly and we had to jump on a plane…I brought the 2 loaves of this bread with me. During the chaos and sadness of funeral planning we all snacked on this bread for 5 days. It brought us all great comfort, and it remained moist until the end. So, thank you for bringing us some joy in a time of sorrow. Also, thought you might appreciate that my niece’s middle name was “Joy” named after my grandma, so I thought it was very apropos that we ate bread from Joy while celebrating Joy’s life. : )
Thank you,
dagny
Thanks so much for this recipe! I just made it and it turned out great (plus it made loads; 12 muffins and a loaf… score!) I love the millet crunch.
Oh my goodness. This banana bread knocks my shoes, socks, and toe nail polish off. Uh-mazing.
So, does millet need to be rinsed for the same reasons that quinoa should be rinsed? I haven’t seen millet, though I know of at least two places where I can undoubtedly buy it when I decide to make this.
Yum! This looks great. And I love sneaking grains into the hubby’s food.
In my opinion this looks like a delicious recipe and i think that it is not so difficult so i will try it very soon. I will post again after i will try it, thanks for sharing.
i love it!
anywayz, what’s the FONT u used in the picture! so adorable!
I just took this out of the oven and YUM in a very big way! I didn’t have any millet, so I substitued “Malt-O-Meal” cereal (you can now get it at Target). This is delicious. Thank you, Joy!
I have banana’s on the verge of banana bread perfection…
This was delicious!
Perfect recipe for me to try today! The hubster is always telling me to use up the grains and seeds I have in our pantry and now I can put some to good use!
I’m totally going to have grandma hands too. I loved my grandmother’s hands – they were so soft and wrinkled. And those hands made the best banana bread… she put cranberries in hers, but millet sounds fab – I love the crunch factor!
We have millet growing in our front yard. Leftovers from overly picky wild birds.
If anyone thinks that they don’t have a green-thumb, try growing millet (wild bird seed mix)… It grows fast, it’s lush and green, and apparently needs very little water or attention! :)
Hello delicious….. :)
http://www.sweetheartadventures.blogspot.com
x
I love banana bread, I think it’s a great way to eat bananas! Never trie millet though, I should if I find some.
I love walnuts in banana bread, but I’d be willing to try subbing in some millet. Sounds like an interesting twist!
yuuuum….
definitely trying this recipe out!!
<3Amanda
Hi cannot wait to try this. My question is why do you rinse the millet?
I have baked it into other muffins and not rinsed, so just wondering.
Thanks, love you site and recipes!
I can’t wait to make this! Maybe this weekend if I have a ripened banana by then. I just bought some millet last week! I can’t get the recipe to print though. It just sends a blank page with the recipe title to my printer. Anyone else having issues?
Little specks of raw crunchy millet, that sounds wonderful!
I often think about me in my 80s, with wrinkled hands smelling of cinnamon, vanilla… And maybe banana bread :-)
Yum! Such a great idea. Ever since I made the Millet Muffins from Super Natural Every Day (see my post here: https://wholeytreats.blogspot.com/2011/02/millet-muffins.html) I’ve been totally addicted to the crunchiness of millet in baked goods. I even tried adding it to granola this weekend… but it ended up tasting a little bitter, in banana bread though? Perfect!
You have no idea how often in my life I’ve eaten popcorn for breakfast. It’s embarrassing but you gotta do what you gotta do when you’re out of breakfast items!
I think I have the opposite problem with bananas–they also seem to over ripen before I get to use them! This bread looks delicious, I try to stay away from making things like this because I tend to eat them all in one sitting!
you…. inspire me.
You inspire me to cook more.
You inspire me to try healthy alternatives.
You inspire me to buy random/funky/vintage tableware.
Thanks for being you and doing what you do!
Can you come over to my house and ripen my bananas with your stone cold stare? We have so many green bananas! I love the idea of using full millet. Totally going to try this with gluten-free flour!
In order to always have bananas on hand, I buy six or so, let them blacken up in my fruit bowl, and stick them in the freezer until the day I impulsively decide to whip up a banana bread recipe. When peeled, the bananas look pretty slug-like and nasty, but they make a mean bread. Trust.
Frozen & thawed bananas are pretty nasty aren’t they?? Probably one of my least favourite things to bake with due to the ick factor. But you’re right—they make wonderful banana bread, and you don’t have to feel bad about throwing out those over-ripe bananas!
I do this too! You’re right, nasty – but awesome. Super ripe is the only way to get that intense banana flavor.
The smell of banana bread wafting though the house is divine! I must make some… today! :)
Hey Can i use regular milk instead of buttermilk??
Millet is so awesome!! When I was travelling/hiking in Nepal we saw it everywhere in the fields, and they sometimes make their local ‘moonshine’, Rakshi, out of millet. Millet’s no lowly bird food there! Since my return, I’ve been trying it out in recipes and it is fantastic–love the crunch! Thanks for the recipe–it looks delish.
I adore this site — and you! And I love banana bread too. I have a few in the freezer that were waiting for a special recipe… I think I found it. Thank you Joy!
You must have known I have like a thousand brown, perfect-for-banana bread bananas in my freezer!
This banana bread sounds like magic. Adding millet in sounds like the best idea ever. I love those little seeds. I badly want to try this recipe. I may even add some millet flour. Yummy!
oh wowwww I’ve been craving banana bread so bad lately! haha. Thanks a lot Joy! ;) just kidding. But I love millet too!! I figured it wouldn’t cook super well because it normally takes a while if I’m cooking it for porridge.
Holy crap this looks amazing. I was just looking thru all your banana bread recipes, and I’m going to try and do the WW oats one tonight. Can’t wait. Banana bread is a late summer/early fall staple for me!
http://www.sweetheartadventures.blogspot.com
Rach
i have a bag of millet in the cupboard i bought ages ago for a recipe (that ended up turning out horrendously, else i’d have just made more of that) and have been looking for a way to use it up. this sounds perfect – and even if i don’t like it, now i know i can just feed the rest of the millet to the birds!
(normally i am all about healthy grains – i had lentils and barley for lunch – but for some reason i just can’t get into millet!)
Oh man, I am a banana bread freak. I feel like there are always 10 bananas in my freezer, waiting to be turned into some kind of banana bread! I love your idea of adding millet, what a yummy treat. Will try this one for sure. Thanks for sharing!
This looks like a fun twist on a classic banana bread recipe. Where can I get millet? I can’t wait to try it.
Just made banana bread yesterday…wish I had waited a few more hours to make this instead! Love, love milett! I eat puffed millet and puffed kamut for breakfast all the time…so lovely and light! Can’t wait to try this out, thank goodness I have raw millet in my cupboard! Does starring at bananas really make them ripen faster? : ) I tried the whole sticking them in the oven thing, didn’t really work, just made the peel black, but the banana was ripe as ever.
I noticed some cinnamon in your picture, but none in the recipe. How much did you use? Also, didn’t see the whole wheat flour in your picture either. My loaves are a bit darker and didn’t rise as high. Is the flour the difference (I added whole wheat)? Just curious. We’re enjoying our warm banana bread right now no matter the differences. Thanks for sharing!
yeesh! i did forget the cinnamon. i added 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. and yes… there is whole wheat flour in the picture. perhaps i measured it under the all purpose flour. i don’t know why they didn’t rise as high. is your baking soda fresh? either way, i’m so glad you’re enjoying the bread!
You are so sweet to get back to me about this comment! Teaspoon of cinnamon noted. Thanks! I have several FB friends that are getting set to try this bread after I shared it on my page. I think you are great!
I have made few recipes from your blog with 100% success. My family lovess your oatmeal cookie pancakes. Can I substitute whole grain millet flour for whole wheat flour? In general, how do I use whole grain millet flour in muffins/breads ?
i have not baked this bread with ground millet flour, and i don’t know how it absorbs. i would have to play around with it before i could tell you what to do.
I made this bread almost as soon as Joy posted the recipe (and loved it so much I made it again immediately after, and used up all my millet…), but I’m just looking at your comment now. I actually used half white whole-wheat flour and half millet flour, because I happened to have it around. It turned out beautifully! I hope you had success if you tried it, but if you haven’t tried yet, the guideline I usually use if I want to sub in some interesting flour is to keep at least half the flour in the recipe some form of wheat, for the gluten, and then the rest can be something like barley or oat or millet.
i just love when you say bits…
To Whom It May Concern (namely, Joy):
I mildly stalked your website for a while. Then I made your brown butter banana strawberry bread. Now I just plain stalk your website. A lot. At work sometimes (read: all the time). This bread looks delicious, and thank you for hopefully not being creeped out by me! Your website is great.
Kind/Warm/Best Regards,
Logan
Yum! My fiance’s finches love millet and now I will too. I’ll be making this bread very soon!
Interested in trying the millet! I fed it to my baby boy for months and he gobbled it down. I just found some whole wheat pastry flour — will it make this bread better? Can I use it as an equivalent? I know nothing about it except that it’s “softer.” Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Love this! So pretty and healthy!
You really brighten my day. I love your blog! Where do I buy millet? Grocery store or health food store or where? I have to try this recipe. Sounds ( and looks ) delicious!
I’m a millet virgin. That needs to change. Stat.
I’ve been adding millet to all my baked goods lately. They add such a nice crunch and texture.
I’ve never tried millet. I like a little crunch in my food so I will have to put it on my grocery list!
That banana bread looks amazing– so moist. I’ve been searching for a good whole wheat banana bread and this looks like the one, so thanks for the helpful post!
I’m gonna have to show this recipe to my Memere (aka grandmother). Her sister gave her a crate full of bananas (don’t ask me how she got them… they are crazy!) and she’s been popping out banana bread like mad! looks delicious Joy!
Love the idea of adding millet — it’d be a good crunch substitution for people with nut allergies.
Also, I made your vegan mango banana bread last week. I only had one banana so I made half the recipe. I also used fresh ginger because I didn’t have powdered. And I threw in some maple syrup for good measure. ‘Twas yummy.
(And yes, I’m bringing back “’twas.”)
Banana bread really is one of life’s little pleasures. Love the idea of using millet, even though I’ve already thoroughly convinced myself that banana bread is a healthy treat.
Try adding chopped dried apricots to your banana bread sometime. Maahvelous.
chopped dried apricots would be amazing in this recipe!
Phew. I’m not the only girl thats been in love with banana bread for ever. :) Banana bread, chococlate chip cookies and french toast – I had those recipes down by the time I was in 2nd grade!
Now I cheat and throw the batter in a casserole pan so it cooks faster. (And I’m less temted to pull it out early -in a loaf pan as soon as it cracks on top- I pull it out to get the goey top I prefer. Gross. I know.) I still put in more bananas than any recipe calls for. I’ve thrown in raisn bran cereal before, and cooked irish oatmeal. But now you have me thinking what would happen if I threw in some uncooked scottish oatmeal. Hmm. Would it be like millet?
Millet is my fav grain, never used it in a sweet baked good though! Great idea!
it’s seriously delicious!
A little crunch is always welcome in breads and muffins! Yum. I’m adding more and more things like millet (and grains) to my pantry. It makes baking/cooking much more interesting and wholesome. Breakfast today was whole wheat couscous oatmeal with pine nuts and figs.
What’s the best way to start a birthday? Waking up and reading a new post from you! I get serious laughs and that is the best way to start any day! Banana bread with Millet! YUM! I’ll happily eat bird food everyday if it tastes as good as your loaf looks!
happy happy birthday!
Just wanted you to know how much you and your writing (not to mention amazing recipes) brighten my day. I have been subscribed to your blog for a while now but I just wanted to let you know hw much I enjoy your posts, your positive energy and your humor. Thank you for sharing it!
thank you so much for dropping this little kindness bomb in my lap!
I’m addicted to banana bread, as well! Love it! I can’t wait to try some millet in my banana bread. Do you think it’ll go well with chocolate and peanut butter? I like my banana bread with lots of chocolate.
Oo have you tried this with pb&j?? I bet it would be amazing.
Way to add things to this millet nilly.
I’ve never even heard of millet until now. I like that it makes it polka dotted.
Mm… seedy :)
How is your letter writing going by the way? You must have written hundreds by now?
Have a sunny day x
SO many letters! i’ve finished about 100 so far!
I love that you add millet in this banana bread, love the crunch of it!
I’m imagine a bit of a pop rocks effect in banana bread. I’m not mad at that.
nature’s pop rocks!
YUM, seriously yum. I’ve had banana bread but never with millet! Thanks for the fun idea!
a girl should always know how to whip up a loaf of banana bread sans stand mixer. Especially after a breakfast of cold popcorn, where the previously melted better that coated the popcorn, now looks like a shellac, but still tastes amazing. Definitely trying this with the millet in it.
Looks delicious, Joy! I’m all about baking with whole grains, and I love the addition of millet. I’m partial to this banana bread recipe (https://cookieandkate.com/2011/honey-whole-wheat-banana-bread/), but I’ll throw in some millet next time. Thanks for the inspiration, as always!
Wow so I always kinda knew that people ate millet but now I know for sure :) My birds love millet so I’m sure I will too, I can’t wait to try it out sometime!
Also, men always try to hold doors open for me, and they look super uncomfortable/offended if I just happen to get to the door first and open it for them. Maybe all you people looking for door-opening boys should come visit Boston.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one thinks later, “I should have rinsed it.” Happens to me all the time. I’m sure birds dont rinse their millet anyway. If I could be a bird, I would be, just to eat fresh berries and unrinsed millet. I would also then fly over to the sill of your kitchen window to beg for a bite of this banana bread!
I’m allergic to bananas, but I’m taking away the idea of using the millet. How about in zucchini bread?
Want to know a secret? If you put a banana in the fridge, it will get soft and black super-quickly. Fast-forward to banana bread!
Hi dear Joy! Do you maybe have some really good recipe for mango cheesecake? I’m looking through the websites, but can’t find the one to be ready to prepare by myself. Thanks for staying with us:)
i don’t have one single cheesecake recipe on here, do i? i need to change that.
It’s like having a whole bunch of walnuts throught the bread?!? Can someone say –WINNING! :) Mmmmm!!!!!
Did I really just misspell ‘throughout’?!? Yep, that must have just happened ^^^^ Ouch.
no biggie. for real.
Girlfriend, one thing I know for sure is how much we love banana bread!
The millet is a great idea too.
Hey joy- I think you could totally bake banana bread forever!
This looks so great.
I love how banana bread is so easy to make, so delicious and can come in all different varieties. The millet sounds like an interesting change!
What a lovely loaf! I bet it tastes amazing! :-)
The use of millett is very interesting. Does it add any nutritional value? Looks delicious!
millet or no millet, your posts are the the best welcome into monday morning (for it is monday morning in croatia now) a girl can get. it is like a best friend’s letter in a mailbox (a handwritten letter in a proper physical mailbox) or a cake on a kitchen table that someone baked while you were sleeping. thank you. I can do my monday now.
love.
So that’s the secret to riping a banana!
Good tasting bird food? Oh yes please. I too can frighten a banana into bruised ripeness. Cruelty to bananas but all in a good cause.
How do you do it?! Everytime I read you I have the urge to run to the kitchen. And yes, I’ve got all this stuff in the kitchen right now.
it’s the sparkle magic of butter and sugar.
GLORIOUS!
Joy, could I use quinoa instead of millet?
um….. quinoa!? i’m really not sure… i haven’t tried this with quinoa.
What a fantastic idea. I’m going to have to try this with my next batch of banana bread.
Oh how I love banana bread. I haven’t had it in ages because bananas in aus bananas are soo expensive at the moment! It’s become a national joke that if you can afford bananas you must be rich :)
Interesting use of millet. In Taiwan, millet is used for porridge, as a staple. Unfortunately, over here in Singapore, millet is almost unheard of and is only available in specialty stores.
A good food time. On the real. <–I love this.
"Banana bread is just one of those things this girl has a crush on…. along with boys who open doors for me, handwritten letters,…" <— do those things really EXIST anymore??! Gosh, please LMK if you find out who these extra terrestial creatures are who open doors and write notes by hand. They could educate our society!
And this bird food turned into bread is the most beautiful thing Ive seen in ages.
Stunning, Joy :)
This looks super yummy! Here is a tip- if your bananas are not ripe enough for bananabread (ie, overripe) stick them in the freezer for a day, then take them out and thaw them. BAM! No need for a staring competition. My mom does this, and her bananabread is, um, bananas.
I love the addition of millet to this recipe. I’m going to pick some up later this week to try with the banana bread I was already planning to make. Great timing, Joy!
“Stone-cold stare a banana just so it will ripen.” ROFL!
I’ll have to try the millet next time. Love the way the house smells while baking banana bread.
P.S. You’re going to be a really cool grandma, Joy!
I do the same same. I stare at bananas, then freeze them, then defrost, then bake with them. I’m weird that way. I also buy overtly ripe bananas for the same reason.
mmmmmillet – i bet the texture is lovely!
Looks delicious! I just might have to venture into the millet-eating world for this recipe.
I imagine the millet to be like over sized yellow poppy seeds! I wonder what type of nail polish will best suite your grandma hands?
ps- love the font on this post!
totally oversized poppy seeds! and my grandma hands will have that opal pearlescent stuff on the nails. for sure.
Looks so lovely!