I love good banana bread so making this recipe from Weight Watchers was on my shortlist. I was intrigued by the use of Wheat Germ as one of the ingredients.
I’ve used Wheat Germ before in my Banana Wheat Bread and Whole Grain Honey Muffins recipes which turned out great so I was confident that this one would as well.
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If you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease you probably want to avoid using wheat germ. Oat Bran would be a good substitute. I’m not a medical expert so please do your research before making this recipe!
Like most banana bread recipes this one is simple to make. As long as you use very ripe bananas all you need to worry about is baking it for the proper amount of time.
I have personally never subscribed to Weight Watchers but I have several family members that have over the years. This recipe comes from one of their old recipe books. I’m including the “points” listed in the book for convenience but if this is important to you, please confirm directly with Weight Watchers.
WW claims 2 points per slice and that this banana bread recipe yields 24 slices. I find that unrealistic so the recipe card below lists the nutritional information for 8 slices per loaf.
Buttermilk Substitution
If you don’t have Buttermilk on hand, you can use this trick as a substitute: Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line. Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes. Since this recipe calls for 1/2 cup you will need to adjust accordingly.
Another option is to use a cultured buttermilk blend. All you need to do is add water. I was very skeptical at first but in a pinch it works great!
How To Pick Bananas
The best bananas for banana bread are when they are overripe, not yellow but black. Or they’re at least streaked with black/brown. The darker the better.
If you can’t find overripe bananas, you can speed up the process by putting the bananas in a paper bag along with an apple and loosely folding down the top. The bananas should ripen in just a day or two using this method.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Banana Bread recipe from Weight Watchers (see recipe card for quantities): White Sugar, Unsalted Butter, Eggs, Ripe Bananas, Low Fat Buttermilk, Vanilla Extract, All Purpose Flour, Wheat Germ, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Ground Cinnamon and Salt.
How to Make Weight Watchers Banana Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Weight Watchers Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- ⅔ Cup White Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
- ½ Cup Low Fat Buttermilk
- ¾ Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup Wheat Germ
- 1 Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
I am a big fan of banana bread and this recipe is the best I have ever had. It is very moist and tasty. A keeper for sure.