Banana Bread — Cooking with High-Phenolic Olive Oil | PJ Kabos Recipe
- Jan 17, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Dessert — Baked Good
Serves 8
Olive Oil Used
Used here: Family Reserve Organic — Medium (White Bottle)
A simple American classic — made richer, softer, and more flavorful with high-phenolic olive oil.
PJ Kabos recipes are created to highlight the depth, balance, and character of high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil—bringing everyday dishes to life in a simple, natural way.
An American Classic
Are those bananas on your counter looking kind of sad?
Don't throw them away — they're perfect for making this delectable "bread" (check out our sister site, oliveoil.com, to learn why it is called bread and not cake.) With just a few simple steps, those "ugly" bananas can transform into a moist and flavorful treat everyone will love!
At PJ Kabos, we've reimagined this classic American recipe and are happy to present to you banana bread made with high-phenolic olive oil. Not only does it add a healthier twist, but it also simplifies the process — no butter to melt, and the result is an irresistibly moist, healthy, and flavorful loaf. Whether you're baking for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy snack, this recipe is sure to delight.
Watch how this recipe comes together in the video below.
Banana Bread — Video
Recipe
Ingredients
3 large bananas, ripe, mashed
2 eggs
¾ cup (90 grams) loosely packed brown sugar
¾ cup PJ Kabos High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this adds a rich, more olive-oil-forward taste to the bread)
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour
1 cup (140 grams) whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon of cloves (optional)
salt, a pinch
For the cream cheese topping (1 loaf):
1 package (200 grams) cream cheese
¼ cup honey (or a little bit more)
garnish the cream cheese topping with chopped nuts, a sprinkling of cinnamon or a sprig of fresh mint (optional)
Equipment:
1 large loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans)
Preparation
Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature.
Wet ingredients
In a large bowl, mash up the 3 bananas either by hand or with using a mixer. Add the eggs and mix. Using your fingers, crumble the brown sugar, adding the crumbs to the bowl. Mix well. Add PJ Kabos High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and mix in. (Note: You may always add a tablespoon or so of yogurt or milk if you feel the batter is too thick or…as we do ¼ cup more oil!)
Dry ingredients
In a second bowl pour in the all-purpose flour. To that add the baking soda and baking powder and mix with the flour well. Add the whole wheat flour and mix all together well.
Putting it together
Using a large spoon slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, making sure to mix well with each addition. (Note: Avoid over mixing to ensure the banana bread stays tender.)
While resting the batter for 5 minutes, use a teaspoon of olive oil, and grease and lightly flour the loaf pan.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 175°C (350°F). Keep in mind that using two small loaf pans may require a shorter bake time (around 30-35 minutes), while a larger loaf pan might take longer (up to 55 minutes). Check for doneness with a toothpick. When it comes out clean, it is ready.
Cream cheese topping
Mix the cheese, add the honey and mix well. Gently cover the top of the fully cooled bread with the topping. Garnish with chopped nuts, a sprinkling of cinnamon or a sprig of fresh mint.
Kali Orexi — Good Appetite!
Experience High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oils from PJ Kabos
The Most Recent Harvest (2025–26)
Please note: Phenolic levels and profiles vary with each harvest.
Extremely High-Phenolic Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Phenols: 995 mg/kg (HPLC), at production
Hydroxytyrosol (& derivatives): 14+ mg/20 g (far above the EU health claim threshold)
USDA Organic
Kosher
Primary Use: Daily Phenolic Shot
Secondary Use: Finishing, Vinaigrettes
Taste Intensity: Robust +
Very High-Phenolic Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Phenols: 699 mg/kg (HPLC), at production
Hydroxytyrosol (& derivatives): 10+ mg/20 g (well above the EU health claim threshold)
USDA Organic
Kosher
Primary Use: Daily Phenolic Shot, Finishing
Secondary Use: Baking, Cooking
Taste Intensity: Robust
High-Phenolic Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Phenols: 400+ mg/kg (HPLC), at production
Hydroxytyrosol (& derivatives): 7+ mg/20 g (more than meets the EU health claim threshold)
USDA Organic
Kosher
Primary Use: Finishing & Cooking
Secondary Use: Daily Phenolic Shot
Taste Intensity: Medium
High-Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Phenols: 400+ mg/kg (HPLC), at production
Hydroxytyrosol (& derivatives): 5+ mg/20 g (meets the EU health claim threshold)
No Pesticides
Kosher
Primary Use: Finishing & Cooking
Secondary Use: Daily Phenolic Shot
Taste Intensity: Medium
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Phenols 250-300 mg/kg (HPLC), at production
Hydroxytyrosol (& derivatives): 3+ mg/20 g (below the EU health claim threshold; still an excellent EVOO)
No Pesticides
Kosher
Primary Use: Cooking, Baking
Secondary Use: Finishing
Taste Intensity: Delicate
Contents
PJ Kabos Guide to Olive Oil
Where ancient olive-growing wisdom meets modern science, your guide to choosing, tasting, and enjoying exceptional high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil. We hope it inspires you in your olive-oil journey.
How olive oil quality is defined — and why the difference matters for taste, health, and daily use.
Why extra virgin and high-phenolic olive oils shine in real-life cooking, from sautéing to roasting.
Your simple daily ritual for harnessing the powerful antioxidants in high-phenolic olive oil.
How phenolic compounds support heart, brain, metabolic, joint, and whole-body vitality across the years.
How cholesterol works — and how extra virgin olive oil supports balance and heart health.
A simple guide to the phenolic compounds in olive oil — what phenols and polyphenols are and why they contribute to olive oil’s flavor, stability, and potential health benefits.
VII. What Is a Daily Phenolic Shot of Olive Oil and What Is the EU “Health Claim” Concerning It? | PJ Kabos Guide
How phenolic content varies from oil to oil and from harvest to harvest — and how to choose an olive oil that meets the EU Health Claim.
A clear look at whether extra virgin olive oil contains heavy metals, microbes, or allergens — and how its natural composition, along with laboratory testing, helps us understand what is — and is not — present.
A clear introduction to tasting notes and flavor in extra virgin olive oil — exploring how these natural characteristics arise from the olive, and how bitterness and pungency shape the oil's character and overall tasting experience.
A thoughtful exploration of aroma and appearance in extra virgin olive oil — how scent prepares the palate, how visual cues can mislead, and how these first impressions shape the tasting experience.
Subscribe and stay tuned — more chapters coming soon.
Please enjoy having a look around our websites and PJ Kabos Amazon Store for more about our many high-phenolic olive oils, recipes, history, etc.
And follow along with us on Instagram for photos concerning olive oil production, our groves in Greece, articles about olive oil, family history and more.
Visit our sister site, OliveOil.com, to explore the post Classic American Banana Bread: History and Visual Recipe. Learn how economic history gave rise to banana bread, why it’s called “bread,” and follow a step-by-step visual guide to making our high-phenolic banana bread.
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