“It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes” . . . wait what?! Maybe don’t . . . but please, please, please tell me I am not the only person who has this song start playing in their head any time someone says “It’s getting hot in here?!” Ugh annoying because then you can not get it out of your head!! Thank you Nelly! (← NOT)

Things be getting all tropical up in here today people.

It really is getting all kinds of crazy hot over here. The weather is insane! Knowing its all kinds of hot I try to buy slightly greenish looking bananas you know so they last more than 5 minutes before turning all brown and speckled and become useful only for smoothies or banana bread.

But this weather . . . I can not keep up. I pick out my slightly green bananas and its so crazy hot that by the time I get home little brown specks are appearing. Well maybe not quite that fast but definitely the following day!

So as I was staring at my pile of manky over ripe bananas once again contemplating whether or not to simply make one of my (many) trusty old faithful, yet perfectly delicious loaves of banana bread such as → this, → this or → this. Or do I make an ice cold, thick and creamy smoothie maybe one of → these, → these or → these?

And then it hit me, I should make a tropical flavoured loaf of banana bread. Kinda like the best of both worlds right?

So Mango and Passionfruit Wholewheat Banana bread it is.

You guys this banana bread is turned out way better than I hoped it would! So, so good!

I simply adapted my fave classic wholewheat banana bread recipe by throwing in some finely chopped mango and the pulp from a couple of passionfruit, that’s pretty much it. But wow, what a loaf! Um can we just stop for a second and acknowledge how unappetising the word pulp is. Kinda like the word “moist” . . . let’s just agree to try to use it as little as possible. Ok with you? Ok good. I feel better now. Moving on.

This banana bread is so, so delicious. The mango adds a mellowed out, almost caramelised sweetness. It’s very subtle though, not in your face. Mangos are polite like that, not overly sweet just mellow, juicy but perfectly sweet. Like they know how awesome they are, they don’t have to make a big song and dance about it.

Then you add in the passionfruit, the sharp tartness really just goes so perfectly well with the mellowed out, subtle sweetness that the mango and banana bring to the table. I also think the acidity from the passionfruit combined with the use of greek yoghurt helps to make this loaf lighter than your standard banana bread. Not to mention those delicious little passionfruit seeds add an incredible depth of texture with the occasional crunch.

Light and sweet, healthy and delicious, the perfect summer twist for your classic banana bread recipe.

The flavours of this mango and passionfruit banana bread, like most of your standard recipes, really seem to intensify in the days that follow. What is it about banana bread? It’s kind of magical really, unlike most baked good these loaves seem to get better in the days that follow.

The flavours seem to become a little more enhanced and it gets a little more moist (←sorry) and flavoursome.  Like the flavours really seem to settle into each other and somehow seem to get a little bigger and bolder if that even makes sense. I personally think that it tastes best the second or 3rd day after its baked if I can get it to last that long.

This mango and passionfruit banana bread is perfect served simply, straight up as it is.

The perfect mid morning or late afternoon pick me up with a nice cup of coffee or green tea.

The perfect post yoga treat while you catch up with a girlfriend.

The perfect way to say thank you, I love you, I miss you, thinking of you or just the perfect way to use up those pesky, manky over ripe bananas.

I think it would also be ah-mazing served for breakfast with an extra big dollop of Greek yoghurt, some fresh slices of mango and banana all finished off with a little spoonful of passionfruit and a big ol’ cup of coffee. Although I have yet to get to this, I dream about it and see it in my very near future . . . lucky I have so many manky overripe bananas up my sleeve, well on my counter.

Crank up your air conditioning, let’s go make some tropical inspired, insanely delicious mango and passion fruit wholewheat banana bread.

Mango and Passionfruit Wholewheat Banana Bread
Makes 1 loaf, approx 12-14 delicious, tropical, mango and passionfruit filled slices of healthy wholewheat banana bread

Ingredients –

1 egg

1/4 cup plain Greek yoghurt (I always, always use Chobani ♥)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of coconut oil

1/4 cup milk (I use skim)

1 medium over ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 cup wholewheat pastry flour (or regular plain flour or a combination of the 2)

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt flakes

1/4 cup chopped mango – fresh of frozen

1/4 cup of passionfruit pulp (approx 2 medium passionfruit)

Method –

1 – Preheat oven to 175’C (350’F)

2 – Line a regular size loaf tin with baking/parchment paper and set aside (or you could go old school and grease and flour the loaf pan, do what you feel)

3 – In a small bowl or jug using a fork whisk together egg, milk, Greek yoghurt, vanilla and coconut oil and set aside.

4 – In a medium/large bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon and salt flakes and whisk to combine.

5 – Add mashed banana to the flour/cinnamon mix then pour over egg/milk/yoghurt mix and stir until just combined.

6 – Add your mango and passionfruit pulp into the banana batter and gently fold through until almost combined.

7 – Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30-40 mins until deliciously golden and the top springs back when gently pressed. A toothpick should have just a few crumbs attached when inserted into the centre. If the top starts to brown to quickly just over it with foil and carry on baking until cooked through.

8 – Once your banana bread is all delicious and baked (and your house smells like heaven) allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

9 – Slice and serve simply as is, or with a little dollop of Greek yoghurt and few extra slices of banana, mango and passionfruit along with a little drizzle of maple syrup just because you can.

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

What is your favourite way to use up those manky over ripe bananas?