Banana Date Flaxseed Bread

I sort of made this recipe- I used a couple substitutions. I used half and half whole wheat and white flour; applesauce instead of oil; egg replacer instead of eggs; I ground all the flaxseed; used 1/4 cup brown sugar instead of 1/2 cup white; and added more dates. I made a batch of 10 big muffins and they turned out great. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!

Healthy banana bread recipe that doesn't taste "healthy". I wanted to add more flax to our diet and found the perfect recipe. I made muffins instead of a loaf by baking for 30 mins. The flaxseeds give it a nutty flavor and texture. The kids love the muffins.

Excellent Recipe: My modifications: 1) used raisins, instead of dates 2) used all ground flaxseeds, no whole. I had heard that whole flaxseeds should never be used for ingesting or cooking, only ground. So I grounded the whole amount and put it all in there. The result is a nutrient-densed and delicous bread. Thank you!

I just made this & had a slice not ten minutes ago. It is yummy beyond words! And even better b/c it's so healthy. A note to readers, however - flaxseed must be ground before consumption to obtain any health benefits. I replaced the white flour with whole wheat, used four bananas, and sub'd applesauce for oil. I also halved the sugar, but it was still too sweet. The dates & bananas give it ample sweetness. Enjoy!

After taking advice from some reviewers and decreasing the sugar to almost half, this bread came out very dry and lacked taste. I doubled the recipe (except for the sugar), so maybe that made a difference. After reading the reviews, I was expecting it to be better, but I was disappointed. I wish I didn't make two loaves. I had to put some leftover cake icing on it to eat it.

Grind all the flax seed or just buy it pre-milled. You get no nutritional benefit from whole seeds, they just pass through you. I also used walnuts instead of dates, and used whole wheat flour instead of white. Also added 1/2 tsp vanilla for a little extra flavor.

Love this recipe!! I make it about twice a week. My kids and husband love it and I like the healthy ingredients. I use 3/4 cup milled flax seed. I also use 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar instead of a 1/2 cup of white sugar & instead of a cup and half of white flour, I use 3/4 whole wheat and 3/4 white. I use raisens instead of dates and have also added chopped walnuts.

I've been searching for the 'perfect' banana bread for a long time... The hunt is over, this is it! This bread is moist, full of flavour, not too sweet and healthy! I tweaked it a bit based on other reviews. I milled the full amount of flax (if left whole your body doesn't absorb any of its health benefits), replaced the oil with half a cup of unsweetened apple sauce, used a full cup (if not a little more) of the dates, threw in a handful of dried cranberries that needed to be used, added an extra banana and to spice it up used a generously heaped teaspoon of ground cinnamon. I topped the loaf with a sprinkling of rolled oats. I baked it for the complete amount of time given in the recipe as 55 minutes wasn't enough in my oven; but I recommend starting off with the minimum amount of time, and checking to see if it's done and baking longer if necessary. I will never use another recipe for banana bread again.

I really enjoyed the bread. I used the blender to ground the flax seed, substituted 1 TBSP Stevia for the sugar, unsweetened applesauce for the oil & raisins instead of dates. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 stars only because I wasn't as fond of the whole flax seed texture(will probably ground all the flax seed next time). It is a great way to have a sweet treat that is so much better for you.

This came out slightly dry for me, so I added big banana chunks into the mix and it baked out so nicely.

I did not have any dates, so I made it without them, still a great taste.

Great recipe! Loved it. Made a few changes... used whole wheat flower, ground all the flaxseed, used brown sugar, used 4 bananas instead of 3, and I topped it with chopped walnuts before placing it in the oven. Turned out spectacular :)

I gave this 4 stars perhaps unfairly since I tweaked the recipe on my first attempt - these are my changes: full cup of ground flax, agave for the sugar, olive oil instead of veg oil, and flaked coconut/some ground almonds (no dates), homemade vanilla extract. Let me tell you - it's great. Incredibly moist, lots of flavor - a perfect healthy snack./breakfast bread.

Yummy! I wanted to make a really healthy yet delicious bread and this is it! I made it even healthier: I used 4.5 bananas and cut out the oil. I also didn't grind any of the flax seed, simply because I didn't have the tools to do so. I used splenda instead of sugar. Finally, I used 1 c. of whole wheat flour and .5 c. of white flour. It was delicious! Next time I'll use less splenda (probably 1/4 c), because the dates & bananas make it sweet enough as is.

At 55 minutes mine was overcooked. Next time I will check it sooner. It's still good but a little on the dry side. I used cranberries & chopped walnuts instead of dates. Added a little oat bran in place of the whole flax seed. Added homemade apple pie spice. Thanks, I love to find healthy things to eat in the morning!

Like many others, I made a few changes to make it lower carb. I ground all the flax seed, replaced the flour with whole wheat flour and the sugar with agave nectar. I left it at 1/2 cup to make it a little sweeter. I used a few more dates (what I had left after Thanksgiving). I baked it in 3 mini loaves at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes. My family loved it and my mom was visiting and she wouldn't have guessed it was "healthier". It was very moist. We will definately make this again. My daughter liked it and she isn't into bananas like my son (and my labradoodle, who is addicted to them).

this recipe was just o.k., my kids didnt like it at all and we are into health foods, too dry, not enough flavor!

I made this recipe again this week (is this going to become a habit?)to split between two friends I'll be visiting, one in the hospital, one recently moved to a nursing home. They are both complaining about the food. I like the idea that I can butter two slices and wrap them together in plastic wrap and they will potentially keep for a couple of days, not that I expect them to. I used chopped dried prunes (not fond of dates) and fresh whole grain flour again. Perfect. Here's a neat trick when using frozen bananas as they are really yucky to work with once they thaw. Don't let them thaw! Slice them lengthwise in half as if for a banana split, hold them over your bowl and slide your thumb between the skin and the frozen banana and it will slide out in one or two pieces. By the time you have the rest of your ingredients ready, the bananas will be thawed enough.

Wow! really happy to have found this- using stuff I have. I did modify this recipe as follows: 1/2 milled flax, no whole. Added 1/3 c. oatmeal instead. also used 1/2 applesauce and 1/4 c honey instead of oil & sugar. added 1/2 tsp vanilla, left out dates altogether. I baked 12 muffins for 15 minutes, and they came out PERFECT. I have been playing with recipes to come up with a yummy healthy muffin that was compliant with a church-wide Daniel fast- and the way I jimmied this is exactly what I wanted. I am usually a "butter it" girl when it comes to muffins, but I inhaled this one as is :)

I really love this recipe very simple the only adjustment I made was to add 1/4 cup sour cream and made it into 12 muffin great, moist and delicious

I made this recipe exactly as stated, except that I used all ground flaxseed. It honestly came out a little dry - I'd recommend using either another banana or a little more oil. It also came out kind of bland, so again I'd recommend another banana or increasing the sugar just by 1/4 cup. The dates didn't do much. I'd add walnuts instead next time. But overall a good recipe. I'd make it again only with the above modifications.

This was a great recipe. I modified it to be a bit more healthy. I also added a few dried apricots to the dates. I boiled 1 cup of water, removed the pan from heat, and added the dates and apricots, which I let sit in the hot water for 15 minutes to make them tender. I also used about 1/2 cup walnuts and toasted them in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then set aside. I used only 1/2 cup ground flax seed since I don't like the grainy texture of whole flax seeds. I used 1/8 cup oil instead of 1/4 cup. I used 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup white sugar. Then I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. I mixed all the ingredients together, including the nuts. Since I have young kids that love finger foods, I baked these in mini cupcake holders at 350F for 20 min. Thank you for the recipe! I will definitley use again!

boring

just made this an hour ago. my 5 yrs. old daughter can't stop asking for more and requested to make some for her whole classmates to share.

I am not a fan of "healthy" versions of most baked goods, but this one is excellent. I used half whole wheat flour, half white; 1/4 c. brown sugar and 1/4 c. white sugar. SOOOO yummy!

This was a great recipe! I added frozen blueberries to the batter and my husband loved them. I did take the advice of others and only used ground flax seed. Will make again.

delicious and easy! love the combination of bananas and dates! i didn't have any flax seed so i used natural wheat bran instead.

FABULOUS!!!!!!! Made muffins...took 23 minutes to cook.

I have made this a few times it always turns out great! I like to use apple sauce instead of oil and add a teaspoon of cinnamon. I also like to double the recipe and make 2 because 1 disappears too fast. This is also a great recipe for kids ... one does the dry ingredients and the other does the wet... we LOVE this recipe !!

Wow! You would never guess this was so healthy. I'm going tear up my 1-stick-of-butter-4-eggs-2-cups-of-sugar banana bread recipe and throw it out! I tweaked this one a bit, though. Not that it needs modifications to be good, but I just wanted to change it up a bit. I used only 2 very ripe bananas and it still had a great banana taste. Substituted 4 tb unsweetened applesauce for the oil, used packed brown sugar instead of white, and ended up adding 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the batter. Also followed the suggestions of the other reviewers and didn't use the whole flaxseed. I used some mixed dried fruit instead of dates and added only 1/4 cup. Made the batter into 12 muffins, they rose well and came out great. Family loved it. Will be making this again, thanks!

This is a moist, delicious bread that's not too sweet- just right for toasting. Instead of oil, I add another banana. I use pecans instead of dates and part whole wheat flour. However, this recipe is great as is- other than the flax, this is identical to my Mom's recipe and her bread was devoured almost as soon as it came out of the oven.

Great simple recipe as written. I like including the little bit of whole flax for the texture but i can see why others don't. Made into muffins as well for the kid's lunch.

Overall very good, everyone at work liked it. People were surprised by the flaxseed crunch. It could use a little more banana though!

Loved it! Cut recipe in half and made 1 tiny loaf.

The first time I made this, I made the bread, the second time I made muffins. It was delicious. When I made the muffins I added walnuts and pecans.....Perfect recipie as written.

I like this and I will definitely make again. I used Milled flaxseed for all the flaxseed called four. About 3/4c. Also I used raisins instead of dates.

I used 3/4 all-purpose flour and 3/4 whole wheat; applesauce instead of oil; 3/4 ground flaxseed; added walnuts and pecans; and added ground cinnamon, nutmeg and clove (1/2 tsp each). It turned out very good. If you like spicy bread, you will love it!

I didn't use dates, i substituted the vegetable oil for applesauce, and I used toasted flax seeds to give it a peanut-y taste. This is absolutely delicious! All it needed was a little of the white sugar substituted for brown sugar. It's real moist and, not to mention, healthy! Great breakfast side.

Really yummy. I've made this a few times, and it's always perfect. Last time, I used 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and raisins instead of dates--turned out great. I've also replaced some (about half) of the ground flax seed w/ oat bran--also tasted great.

This was delicious. The flax adds so much fiber to stay that "regular" course! I changed the dates to chopped up prunes, which I had on hand, and found they were very sweet and moist. A nice break from regular banana bread. Also, I left out the whole flax because in their whole state, the seeds are not broken down as easily or assimilated as much. I also cut the sugar down 30%. This bread is TO DIE FOR and has become one of my favorite breakfast options. thanks for sharing!!

DE-licious! I substituted golden raisins for the dates and made muffins instead, but they are SO good...and healthy too! My boyfriend never likes anything healthy, but because they flax was ground, he didn't know the difference! Thanks for a great recipe!

Very good, Had no dates, so I used walnuts instead

Yesterday evenening, I was looking for flax seed recipes and up came this one. Lo, I had 3 old bananas on the counter just starting to put on spots. I've never made b-bread before. Never liked the taste, but baby, this one was a big surprise ... also very moist. I used a mix of white and wheat flour and a mix of ground hazelnuts and ground flax seed. Didn't have whole flax seeds, so didn't add them. Baked it in a bundt cake form for about 40 min. It was good. Cake was gone from my house by this morning. Verdict from the kids. Make it again. It was good.

Wow! I'm amazed. First time using flaxseed to cook with and I'm loving it. I took liberties with the recipe in several ways- my flour was a mix of white, whole wheat and wheat germ. Agave syrup for the sugar and used half as much as was called for. Used egg whites only, no yolks. Used applesauce for the oil and doubled it. I still credit the recipe's creator completely. Lovely as muffins and in a loaf.

Great recipe! My only addition to your excellent recipe using flaxseed is, for myself I use Rejuv! for my flaxseed meal. It comes easy to measure and has added value of flax hull lignans which are concentrated. Great antioxidant and packed with Omega-3s. Easy to cook with. I use it daily in my smoothies. I've done the research and it is the best and superior to the flaxseed meal you get at a local health food store or enlightened grocers. Thanks again for the great post.

This makes great bread. I'm going to replace this recipe with my traditional banana bread recipe. The only thing I did differently is to replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat integral flour. I also added a handful of walnuts. YUM!

So I replaced the sugar cup for cup with honey, replaced the veggie oil with olive oil, and used wheat flour+gluten instead of all-purpose. I added 2TBSP of molases because I like my wheat bread to LOOK like wheat bread and the molasses gives it a darker color. Instead of dates I used craisins, dried blueberries, and golden raisens and added about double what the recipe did. Also, my bananas were not completely smooth, but a little chunky, which made the bread look and taste good too. It came out great! I passed it around to teachers at school today and they are asking for the recipe. If I do it again I will add some cinnamon. I don't know if I butchered this recipe, but it was a good starting point for something healthier.

Solid bread. Used raisins since I didn't have any dates. Nice for an easy breakfast.

Made this this morning. I used an egg replacer for the eggs and only used ground flax. Very good! Thanks to the reviewers for persuading me to make this one!

I've made this recipe at least a dozen times as is, and it's great as it is. In the past i've subbed raisins for dates, since dates are the one ingredient i don't normally have on hand. Today i adjusted the recipe quite a bit and it's so yummy i wanted to share: Instead of 100% AP, used 1 C AP Flour, 1/4 c whole wheat, & 1/4 c wheat germ. Added a heaping tablespoon of ground espresso, ~1/4 c chopped pistachio, 1/2 t of cinnamon. Omitted the whole flax seeds (kept the ground flax). My adjustments were deliciously inspired by the muffin i had this weekend at True Food Kitchen in Santa Monica!

I made this bread and it was great, but I have one question, should I have used really ripe bananas?

Make sure all your flax is ground. Very tasty, and simple!

My husband and youngest son really enjoyed. I read reviews and also did some changes. Used all natural apple sauce, splenda instead of sugar, ground all my flax seed, and used 3/4 cup all purpose flour & 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Very moist and full of flavor. Thanks for a healthy recipe that actually taste good.

I love this bread. It's a nice twist on traditional banana bread, with the bread itself not being as sweet as my traditional recipe, but the dates adding little bursts of sweetness to the bite. The flax makes a nice crunch as well. Altogether yummy.

Loved it!!! Had to cook it maybe an extra 10 minutes; may do that again next time or may use a 9x5 pan instead of an 8x4. Had a piece once it cooled and then wrapped it in plastic wrap and left it on the counter. Perfectly moist and delicious the next day. Next time I will add more dates and chop them less. I added pecans and golden raisins as well. Also used wheat germ and bran in place of the ground flaxseed since I only had whole and my processor wouldn't grind them. Replaced the oil with applesauce and used half whole wheat flour. Added the 1/4c whole flaxseed but as other posters have said, there's really no benefit to it; will possibly add chocolate chips instead next time. Awesome recipe, very quick to prepare and very easy. Bakes up beautifully.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this bread. It was moist and delicious even after the changes I made: (1) grind all the flax; (2) substitute 1/2 c. applesauce for the oil; and (3) substitute whole wheat flour for white flour. It turned out fabulous -- even my toddler ate up a whole huge chunk of it! Definitely a keeper recipe.

A great "go to" healthier basic recipe that you can customize very easily with success! The texture, flavor, and rise was perfect. I removed 2 bananas and added Nutella; used La Tourngelle Walnut Oil; egg WHITES; unbleached Organic Pastry Flour at same timing- check the last 5 min., though, because with Flaxseed it heats faster, just let it cool for 10 minutes- it will continue to cook during this time. Incredibly easy. Fantastically good. Everyone loved its nutty, delicately banana, chocolatey flavor.

This bread is wonderful and not too sweet. I used all ground flax in the batter, added 4 bananas (because I needed to use them all), and I added 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts for extra protein. Great recipe. I'd add that I cooked this bread in a convection oven for 47 minutes.

Very tasty muffins! I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce and made 12 big muffins. Thanks for sharing!

I substituted the oil with unsweetened applesauce, used half whole-wheat flour, skipped the whole flax seeds and sprinkled walnuts on top. It came out very moist and light.

Very delicious... and pretty guilt free :) Followed the directions exactly except did not add dates. Mine took exactly 60 minutes to bake and came out perfect!

I made this and it was ok, however I did NOT use WHOLE flax seeds. Those pass thru the body undigested. The large amount of ground flax seeds is enough in this recipe.

Awesome recipe! Only change: prunes for dates...didn't have them. Making this from now on.

Grrreat recipe!

Extremely moist bread! It's guilt-free, too, if the oil is substituted for 1/2 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. honey, as suggested by others. It's chock full of good stuff for you! My only hesitation about giving this bread full stars is that is that it tastes of both banana bread, and a healthy grain bread... it is different. I'm not sure what to eat it with. I think it works best as a morning bread with coffee, like a grainy muffin would. Perhaps the flavor still needs to grow on me. For those who are used to eating flax, etc. you will love this! I love that this is a healthy "power" bread, is moist and good for you!

I have had this exact recipe for at least 15 years! I remember seeing it in magazine in a doctors waiting room. I scribbled it on a piece of paper I found in my purse. I only wrote the ingredients (w/measurements), temp and time. No instructions. But that is the beauty of this recipe. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then add dry into wet. I grind all BUT 2 Tbsp of the flax. I know there is no health benefits, but i love the crunch of the seeds with pecans. I like most of the reviews, I also split the sugar between brown and white, and equally split the flour between all purpose and 100% whole wheat. My go to, healthy, banana bread.

Impressed. I thought it would be extremely dry and crumbly and would fall apart. I like a dense banana bread. I didn't put in the dates (didn't have any), so this is still a good recipe without the extras.

Excellent and flexible! I only add ground flax and no dates cuz that's what I have on hand. I also throw in walnuts, cranberries and a bit of kefir. I smear pb on top too. Good recipe as is or if you want to get creative.

Moist and easy to make. I used hemp seed instead of ground flax seed as it also has a nutty flavor. Next time will try this recipe using raisins or walnuts.

made very moist and delicious muffins out of it and the best part is that its healthy. Used 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and the rest all purpose flour and also 3/4 cup ground flaxseed.

Have made a few times and still get excellent feedback from all who have tried.

I have made 3 banana bread recipes from this site. This is by FAR the best even though it's the "healthiest". Yeah, yeah, I know there's sugar in it, but at least there's wheat flour (in mine), tons of ground flax (I bought mine milled and didn't use any whole seeds since they are worthless) and MY KIDS LOVE IT!!! Can't ask for better than that.

Loved it. I did not have a grinder for the flaxseeds and it turned out fine. I actually kind of like it and will make it that way in the future.

I tried to make this recipe many times, with no success. The first time I made it exactly, then I tried some variations, no success still. I tried to like it, but just couldn't.

I couldn't get the whole flaxseed ground in my food processor so I used 1/2 c. bran flour in its place. Served at an office breakfast to rave reviews, very tasty!

I just made these and they are delicious. my 7 yr old. grandson asked for more. I used 1/2 white and 1/2 brown sugar. Goofy me, I added double sugar by mistake so had to double the recipe. Luckily I had extra bananas in the freezer. I made 24 muffins and baked them for 29-30 minutes. Thanks, this is a keeper.

these were just okay.. i cut the recipe in half and it made 8 good size muffins.. i can't give a true review bc i didn't have any dates.. and i used burro bananas instead of regular bananas.. so maybe that's why i felt like it needed more sugar.. i ground all the flax like others suggested.. this also felt dry so i added an extra T of oil.. i also added some cinnamon (1.5 t) and a splash of vanilla extract.. don't know if i'd make this again.. this does have potential though

I used applesauce instead of the oil since I didn't have anything but olive oil on hand when I wanted to make this bread. It is a very dense bread, but very flavorful. It was a great way to use some of a big package of whole dates and some really ripe bananas I had.

it was great

great recipe. i even cut the sugar in half (don't necessarily recommend, i just did it to cut sugar intake) and it was still great. i omitted the dates. it makes 2 mini loaves. i baked for 20 minutes in a dark pan for mini's.

I have used this recipe often. My family and friends love it and so do I. I slowly changed from all white flour to 2/3 whole wheat and 1/3 white. It works well and feels more healthy. I have also substituted walnuts for dates for one of my friends but personally prefer dates.

a healthy alternative to regular banana bread! thought it would dry out with all the flax but the fruit and oil kept it moist. Great!

I have made this loaf many times. The only modification is that I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup white. We all love it.

I changed up the recipe a bit. I used 1 stick butter, I know some people resist butter but I use it in my baked goods on occasion. I used 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar instead of white sugar. I used Hodgson Mill white flour and instead of 1 1/2 cups I used 2 cups. I also used 1 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda and salt. I used 3/4 cup chopped dates and mixed them in with the banana , sugar mixture. I added 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla. This made 4 mini loaves. And oh yeah I put two tablespoons Trader joes pecan praline granola on each loaf before baking! And thanks to some other recommendations I used flax meal and increased it to 1/2 cup.

It was a surprise and with the added value of incorporating the benefits of flax and great choice. Would make it again.

I made his recipe with some changes. Used only whole wheat flour, 3 tbs honey for the sugar, 1/4 cu ground roasted sesame seeds and toppes with sunflower seeds. Great healthy recipe.

I did half white and half whole wheat flour and added 1/2 tsp cinnamon and several dashes of mace. I left the whole flax seeds in for crunch. The batter filled 3 mini loaf pans which baked for 25 minutes in a convection oven. I thought it delicious, my husband thought it too sweet. It's stayed fairly most after 2 days. I'm making it again today and will try all whole wheat flour.

Very good - made as described (did use ground flax seed meal as recommended) and just ate a slice while still warm. Yummy. It is a bit sweet but that is OK. Dates are a nice change but maybe the tartness of raisins would be good. It will be hard not to have another slice right away!

Great taste, especially if you love dates.

I made this as a surprise for my husband who wanted to add flaxseed to his diet. He loved it and I will make it again...and again!! I substituted the dates with walnuts and it came out delicious.

Exceptional Bread. My family loves it. Plus it is high in fiber and is very healthy eating.

The bread turned out quite tasty....I would have given it 5 stars but I didn't have flax, so I put in some wheat germ and little bit of chai seeds and just a little bit of molasses... I also used splenda....Try it!

I wouldn't make it again - the flaxseed flavor was too much and husb likes chocolate chips better than dates. I'll stick with traditional banana bran bread.

I left out the dates and followed some suggestions, applesauce instead of oil, half the sugar and whole wheat flour. I added a tablespoon of soft butter and 1/4 cup of skim milk. it was moist and very delicious. Thank you for the recipe.

Wonderful quick bread. I used applesauce in place of oil. I did not add whole flaxseed, just used the half cup ground. I replaced the dates with 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Baked perfectly in convection oven for 1 hour.

I've made this recipe a couple of times now. The first time I followed it exactly and my husband loved it! I tried it again and added 2 cups of fresh cranberries instead of the dates and a tsp of vanilla. It turned out much better than I expected. I also made muffins instead of a loaf (350 degrees for 22-25 minutes). The muffins are not too sweet and the cranberries give a nice tartness which adds contrast. I'll continue to use this recipe!

I didn't have the whole flax seeds, so I just skipped that part. Recipe came out delicious. You could even add some chopped nuts. This recipe is a keeper. I also used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour.

This was an excellent recipe. I doubled the recipe and turned it into muffins so I had something to grab on the go, and it worked great. With doubling the recipe it made about 30 muffins, cooked at 350 for 25 min. I only had 4 bananas and it still tasted great, but probably would have been better with 6. I also didn't have dates and omitted them and used all flax meal since I didn't have any flax seed - which worked just fine. I might try adding some cinnamon next time. Yummy and will definitely make again.

This "Banana Date Flaxseed Bread" was quite good! I was surprised by the texture since it was very firm unlike most breads. I halved the sugar as is my habit but it probably wasn't overly sweet to begin with (I avoid sugar - it was fine). I also doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9"X13" pan for 40 minutes. I think this is a recipe worth keeping. The next time I make it I will leave out the sugar to suit my own tastes. Thank you RUGGLES for sharing your recipe. UPDATE: I had to change my rating (4 stars to 5 stars). This banana bread tastes excellent after being stored in the freezer a few weeks and then thawed (stronger date flavor: more like a date bread). How convenient is that? Very convenient! This is the PERFECT FREEZER LOAF!