Description
Banana bread whispers comfort straight from your kitchen, tempting friends and family with its warm, homemade charm. Grab those overripe bananas and watch simple ingredients blend into a slice of pure happiness.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Supporting Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
Seasoning and Leavening:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350°F and coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Crush 3 ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl using a fork until they reach a smooth, pudding-like consistency.
- Pour ⅓ cup melted butter over the mashed bananas and mix thoroughly until the mixture looks uniform.
- Add ¾ cup sugar, 1 beaten egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the banana mixture, stirring until completely blended.
- Dust 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 pinch of salt across the wet ingredients, then gently fold in 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour until just incorporated.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes to stabilize its structure.
- Carefully tip the bread onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Overripe bananas are the secret weapon for the most tender, flavorful banana bread, so let those spotted bananas sit on the counter until they’re super soft and dark.
- Avoid overmixing the batter when adding flour, which can make the bread tough and dense – just stir until the ingredients are barely combined.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend to keep the same soft texture.
- Enhance the bread’s richness by adding a handful of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a sprinkle of cinnamon to the batter before baking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes - 1 hour
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 196 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg