I live along the front range at about 5,000 feet.  When I moved to Colorado, I found that many of my previous baking recipes didn’t quite turn out the same way as they did back in Ohio.  Some may argue that I’m not at a high enough elevation to require any alterations to a recipe, however I will say that regardless of the “why” things bake different here than they do in the Mid-West.  While some recipes are just fine, others do require a bit of some adjustments.  Maybe it’s the dry air, or the 300+ days of sunshine.  Whatever the reason, my old banana bread recipe never turned out the way it should.  So here is one that works.

Front Range Banana Bread (“high-altitide”) w/ Hemp Seed

2 Medium size bananas, very ripe

4 tbsp oil or soft butter (I like coconut oil)

2 large egg

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup hulled hemp seeds + more for topping

1 1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips/ nuts/ etc. (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Combine butter, eggs, sugar, and bananas,  Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and hemp seeds.  Use a hand mixer or an emulsion blender to combine all the ingredients.  I like the emulsion blender b/c it makes everything smooth and creamy (but don’t over blend).  Stir in flour with a spoon until moistened.  Fold in chocolate chips/ nuts/ etc. if using them. Grease a loaf pan (I use coconut oil) and lightly flour it.  Pour bread batter into pan.  Sprinkle hemp seeds on top.  Bake at 350˚F for 50 minutes.

I know it’s tempting, but let the loaf cool completely before trying to remove from the pan.  Otherwise you’ll end up with more than one loaf, and it won’t be pretty (if you know what I mean).

High Altitude Recipe

When I found the original recipe it was called a “High-Altitude” recipe.  I changed the name to Front Range since I don’t bake above a mile-high, also I altered the recipe a bit.  So if you live at a higher elevation, let me know in the comments if this works.

A Note on Hemp Seed

Hemp seed is a little powerhouse food.  It is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids.  It is also a complete source of protein containing all essential amino acids.

Enjoy!