A few weeks ago, my husband spotted a mourning dove sitting in the corner of our back patio. The bird was hiding in a shadow behind a planter, standing very still, trying its best to go unnoticed. When we approached the dove startled, but didn’t fly away. We could tell her wing was injured. We watched her, wondering what to do. We’re both animal lovers, and the thought of this little bird in pain broke our hearts. I considered trying to capture her so I could bring her to the vet, but she was very skiddish– each time we got close, she spooked and hobbled away. In the end, we decided to give her food and water, hoping for the best.
We lined up a few planters to give her more protection. We have three parrots, so food wasn’t a problem– I scattered some birdseed near the planters and placed a small dish of water nearby. After making sure she had plenty to eat and drink, we walked inside and spied on her from our kitchen window. Several minutes later, she timidly hobbled over to the dish and sipped the water with her beak. She drank for a long time, then began to peck at the seeds. My heart bloomed, as it always does when I see a child or animal eating. The mother in me loves nothing more than giving nourishment to others.
For the next week we kept a close eye on the dove, feeding her and refilling her water daily. My dog Marley was banned from the back yard, which made him very unhappy, but the last thing an injured dove needs is a big goofy labrador sniffing at it. As the week progressed, other birds discovered that our patio was an endless source of manna. Blue jays and robins made frequent appearances, tucking into the birdseed like they’d won the lottery. Little mourning dove cowered in the corner quietly, waiting for them to steal their share. We always made sure that she had enough. A few times, we saw her stretching her wings and walking around, as though testing her newfound strength. She became more adventurous, toddling out beyond the planters to the edge of the patio.
And then, one morning, she was gone. I panicked, wondering if a coyote had gotten to her. We live in the Hollywood Hills, where any number of creatures might have seen the mourning dove as an easy meal. We searched the entire back yard, but she was nowhere to be found. We hoped that perhaps, by some miracle, her wing had healed and she’d been able to fly away. Maybe we would never know for sure.
Then, a couple of days later, there she was– perched on the back of a patio chair, calm as can be, as though waiting for us to come out and say hello. I didn’t want to get too close and startle her, but I was able to get a picture with my zoom lens. Here she is:
She stayed for a few hours. At one point she hopped to the planter and nestled there, peering down at the corner where she’d spent her recovery. I scattered birdseed and she nibbled at it. Then, as the sun began to set, she flew away. We haven’t see her since.
I believe she came back to say thank you. She knew what we’d done to help her. Such a simple moment, but it reminded me of how every creature in our world is connected. What a gift that we could offer this little bird shelter, nourishment, and ultimately life. It was a blessing.
This story has very little to do with baked goods, but I wanted to share a recipe with you today – Greek Yogurt Banana Nut Bread. I’ve cut most of the butter and added Greek yogurt, applesauce, smashed bananas and nuts to my standard quick bread recipe. The result is a super moist, spongy, low fat banana bread with a terrific texture. It’s a tasty and foolproof quick bread that is lower in calories than traditional banana bread. It’s also terrifically yummy– sweet, but not overly so. If you like your banana bread cake-sweet, add another 1/4 cup of sugar. I like it as written.
If our little mourning dove still lived on our patio, I’d treat her to a few crumbs in with her birdseed.
Recommended Products:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Greek Yogurt Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 pound very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (whole, 2% or nonfat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Dash cloves
- Dash nutmeg
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- Nonstick cooking oil spray
NOTES
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Cut the butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes. Make sure the butter is fully integrated into the sugar and the mixture becomes small, even sized crumbs.
- Add the eggs and applesauce to the bowl and continue to mix till smooth.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork till smooth. Add the mashed bananas, Greek yogurt, and vanilla to the bowl. Use a spatula to stir the mixture till smooth.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet to make a thick batter. Don't over mix-- a few lumps are okay.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts.
- Grease two loaf pans with nonstick cooking oil spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
- Bake the banana bread for 45-55 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, till the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the top of the bread browns faster than it bakes, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes in their pans, then put them on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve warm... with tea, perhaps, or a pat of melty butter. This bread is so comforting, a wonderful baked treat to have on hand for unexpected guests. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil to keep moist; store in the refrigerator if you will be keeping it longer than a few days.
Julie says
I’ve been looking for a healthier banana bread and this one was fantastic. Not dry, cooked evenly, and was the right sweetness. thank you!
julie
Angela says
Hello! I’m really eager to try this healthier version of banana nut bread, especially considering all the wonderful ratings! Do you happen to have the nutritional information per serving? Thank you! 🙂
Tori Avey says
Hi Angela, we are working on calculating nutrition for all the recipes on the site. There are over 800 so it is taking us some time! Hopefully we will get around to this one soon, but meanwhile there are quite a few calorie calculators online you can use.
Roberta Closner says
Got this recipe from a coworker years ago and LOVE IT! I was so sad when I lost the printed recipe & couldn’t find The Shiksa in the Kitchen online to reprint it. I just stumbled across an article saying it was Tori & found my beloved banana bread recipe again! I’ve added a walnut crumble topping that is to die for! I also make muffim cups & freeze some for a quick breakfast on the go! And I sub half white flour for wheat. Do you by chance have the nutritional info for the bread?
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi Roberta, Tori’s assistant Ashley here. Glad you found us again! Unfortunately we do not calculate the nutritional info for our recipes at this time.
Diana Van Hart says
Made this recipe but didnt have all the ingredients, so I substituted sour cream for yogurt, oil for butter, eliminated the apple sauce, cloves, nutmeg & walnuts, added chocolate chips and 3/4 cup shredded coconut instead.
PS I mixed everything by hand…no fuss
Turned out great!
Ashley at ToriAvey.com says
Hi, Tori’s assistant Ashley here! Thanks for letting us know it turned out! 🙂
Louise says
This is the BEST banana bread recipe ever– moist and not overly sweet. We have made it repeatedly, with great success. We look forward to having “mature” bananas in the house, so we can make this. The only changes I have made are to cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and add raisins. Turns out great every time. Divine.
Louise says
Sorry, meant to give it a five star rating. Certainly deserving of it.
Vaughn says
This was amazing! I made my apple sauce (Apple, sugar & cinnamon), only because I didn’t have any and didn’t want to go to the store and candied the walnuts before adding. This recipe is husband approved, I might have to hide some from him. Thanks for sharing!
jo Ann says
If could give it more stars I would, I have to diet and I love baked goods like a junkie likes crack, this is so fantastic, I baked mine for 45 minutes it was spongy &bouncy,super moist.
Thank you ,thank you.
Catie says
We loved this at out house! We made one with a handful of chocolate chips instead of walnuts and it didn’t even last past the morning.
MAGGIE says
Dear Tori: I really love the way you present your récipes!
Italian Rob says
I have been making banana bread for three decades and this is by far the best. Easy to prepare, moist and tasty….I added three tablespoons of olive oil and a half cup of sliced almonds….The loaf was supposed to last through the weekend but never made it past Friday Night…..ummm good
Chelsea says
I’m hoping to make this today! Can it be made in a 13×9 pan? If so should I up the temp to 350° ? I know I need to decrease the cook time. Thanks!
Tori Avey says
Hi Chelsea, I would need to test this to give you solid advice here. Hope it turned out well!
Irrit says
Can you substitute whole wheat flour
Tori Avey says
I’ve never subbed all whole wheat flour here. You might try a 50-50 sub with white and wheat to avoid making the texture overly grainy.
Emilia says
Hi all! I love this recipe. I did substitute with coconut flour, coconut oil and added a cup of chocolate chips and it was delicious 🙂
Susan says
This was so delicious– I made it and took it to work to share and I was everyone’s favorite person for the day. 🙂
I might have missed it, but is there somewhere I could find the nutritional facts for this?
V says
Nice recipe. I was out of sugar so i used maple syrup instead and added some chocolate chips. Turned out really yummy and super fluffy 🙂 thanks
Gail says
To make the recipe more heart healthy, I substituted coconut oil for the butter. Coconut oil is comprised of short and medium chain fats, which are easier for the body to break down. In addition, it adds a bit of tropical flair to the banana bread!
Julie says
Just made this recipe into muffins- turned out great, baked them for 20 minutes. They are delicious. Thank you:)
Tori Avey says
Glad to hear that Julie!
Zelpha Jo Harper says
Recent retiree. New mission in life: don’t throw good food out. That is not easy to do when you live alone and fresh food expires faster than your single serving appetite. I had a half container of Greek yogurt and two over ripe bananas, both destined to wind up in the garbage. “Borrowed” the third from my neighbor and was happy to give her six big slices, confident she would enjoy this delicious bread as much as I did. My grandmother would approve. She never threw anything out.
Tori Avey says
Zelpha I always seem to have a few overripe bananas on hand. This is my favorite way to use them up!
Miss Food Fairy says
Thank you for a deliciously moist banana cake – I have been searching high and low for a banana cake that highlights the banana! I just made this today and I haven’t stopped eating it! I did tweak it a little for my likings but nothing major – used all brown sugar, no white. Thank you for sharing and giving me the inspiration to bake a cake.
Tori Avey says
You’re welcome Miss Food Fairy! 🙂 <3
Judi Frankel says
Thanks for posting this recipe!
Miss Food Fairy says
I have been looking for a new banana cake recipe and this sounds perfect! Love your dove story too – too cute!