Who doesn’t love a good banana bread with crunchy walnuts? Timeless foods such as banana bread provide comfort in staying the same. However, there’s an excitement that comes when food and beverage manufacturers take classic flavor pairings in new directions. The combination of bananas and walnuts gives manufacturers a platform for exceptional flavor across multiple product categories. Plus, the nutritious value of both ingredients creates a win-win in food manufacturers’ and consumers’ hearts. Much like walnuts, bananas are a great addition to plant-forward diets and they balance nicely with the flavor of walnut.
So, what’s new in the walnut-banana world? At last year’s IFT, banana was all the rage, and it has continued into 2020. Philip Caputo, marketing and insights manager for Virginia Dare, said at the tradeshow that banana is the “one big new flavor trend to watch,” Food Navigator reported. This was partly due to “elevated twists of nostalgic flavors associated with childhood starting to creep into distinctly adult products.”
These adult products, such as protein bars, granola and snacks offer the perfect opportunity to take the banana and walnut flavor pairing in new directions.
With 10 grams of protein, Trailnuggets Pro Energy and Protein Bar, Banana and Walnut variety, answers consumer calls for a delicious tasting protein bar. The plant-forward bar is gluten-, dairy- and soy-free, and is the newest variety in the Trailnuggets lineup. With walnut nut butter filling, the Banana and Walnut bar is a soft, satisfying product that is reminiscent of home baked banana bread.
RX BAR takes the popular banana and walnut flavor to new directions with the addition of chocolate. The company’s Banana Chocolate Walnut bar is made with crunchy walnuts, chocolate chips, egg whites and dates. Each bar provides 12 grams of protein and 3 grams of dietary fiber.
Not in the mood for a bar? Fearless Keto offers Candied Walnuts in a Banana variety. The snack provides 4 grams of protein per serving and contains no added sugars or artificial ingredients. After they are coated with natural sweetener and flavoring, the walnuts are hand-roasted, artisan style with no additional oils.
Breakfast with Bananas, Walnuts
While the snacks above are designed for on-the-go consumption, breakfast also offers countless opportunities for banana and walnut consumption. Love Grown’s Blueberry Banana Walnut Hot Oats are meant to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home or as a make-and-take breakfast on the go. The made with walnut oatmeal also includes brown sugar and cinnamon, and one serving contains 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
If you like your oatmeal with yogurt, try Zen Monkey’s Overnight Oatmeal with Greek Yogurt. The new Banana Walnut flavor is a ready-to-eat oatmeal with crunchy walnut pieces and pureed bananas.
In the granola aisle, Wildway’s Grain Free Granola comes in a Banana Nut variety that contains no oats, grain fillers, added sugar or sweeteners. Instead, the granola features walnuts, dates, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and vanilla bean. This granola is keto and paleo friendly and gluten-free.
Bananas and walnuts make an excellent flavor pairing, but did you know walnuts also pair with spicy and savory foods. Visit https://walnuts.org/food-professionals/ to learn how you can use walnuts’ flavor versatility to pair with almost any product.
