HONEY, I shrunk the banana bread!

[Dabble]

Today I tried to make some banana bread, using my much-beloved recipe that calls for a 1/2 C. of white sugar. Attempting to avoid refined sugar, I substituted in, measure for measure with some lovely local honey.

The batter came together looking exactly like it always does, and came out of the oven looking simply scrumptious. Allowed to cool, it shrunk! The top flattened way down, suggesting that it was underbaked. Inside, it was indeed mushy, but if I had cooked it any longer, it would have started to burn on the outside.

What should I have done differently? Can you usually substitute equal measures of honey in place of sugar?

BTW, it tastes yummy, but it's a mushy pile on the inside!

[swood]

Hmmm. this is a good question. The same thing happened to me today! I thought it was because I used too much banana... but maybe it is the honey? what are you doing to remedy the mushiness? I cut one loaf up and am trying to toast it in the oven to dry it out... i think it is too mushy for anyone to eat, even me.

[cristeen]

Reduce your temperature by 25 degrees and cook it a little longer. You'd probably also be well served to cut out a bit of the other liquid content in the recipe. If you used 1/2 c of honey, then I'd start by cutting out 1/4 c of other liquid (water, milk, etc.).

[JessicaTX]

or maybe add more flour

[LauraLoo]

Substituting Honey for Sugar

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1923...243192,00.html

[Koalamom]

Or put it in muffin tins instead of a big cake pan.

[Dabble]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! I think I may try a combination of them the next time I make this recipe.

LauraLoo, I found it interesting on the link you posted that they say honey and sugar are interchangeable at equal measures up to 1 cup. So this recipe SHOULD have worked, according to that.

I think I will try both reducing the other liquid in the recipe a little bit, and also lowering the baking temperature and extending the cooking time just a smidge. That should do it!

If I make the recipe again soon, I'll report back on how it worked out!

[LauraLoo]

Originally Posted by Chimpmandee

LauraLoo, I found it interesting on the link you posted that they say honey and sugar are interchangeable at equal measures up to 1 cup. So this recipe SHOULD have worked, according to that.

I was wondering about that. But in every recipe that I've replaced sugar with honey - unless we're talking tablespoons, I've always had to alter something else.

Here's another thought. I once had an oven that wasn't working right because I always had to cook things much longer than the recipe indicated. I bought an oven thermometer, and sure enough, my oven was 50 degrees off. You may just want to check your oven to make sure it's ok.