Banana Walnut Bread

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and honey. Now add the eggs and whisk again to combine. Now add the bananas yogurt, milk, baking soda, vanilla extract, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk again. Using a spatula, stir in the flour; then add the dates and walnuts and stir the batter again until everything is well combined. Lightly oil a non-stick a 9 x 5 loaf pan like this one. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and shake very gently so it evens out. Bake in the 325 degrees F heated-oven. After 50 minutes or so, test by inserting a toothpick in a few places. If only a couple moist crumbs cling to it, remove it from the oven. If it needs a little more time, give it 5 more minutes or so. Remove from the oven and let the bread cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to cool on a wire rack for another 20 minutes or so. Slice and enjoy! Pro Tip: use the best extra virgin olive oil you can or you may risk a rancid-tasting loaf. I used our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil here; it adds great depth and keeps the loaf tasty and moist. To Store: Properly-stored, fresh banana bread will keep for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge. I like to be sure and wrap the banana bread in plastic wrap, then store it in an air-tight container to keep it moist. And because I use olive oil in this banana bread recipe, it is even more rich and moist the next day! I often make an extra loaf or two to freeze for later use. To freeze, let your freshly-baked banana bread cool completely, then wrap it with freezer plastic wrap or heavy-duty freezer bags. Properly stored, it will keep well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.