Description
Banana bread brings warm memories straight from Grandma’s kitchen, where simple ingredients create pure comfort. Slicing through this classic quick bread reveals tender crumbs that make weekend mornings deliciously special.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.5 bananas
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter
Supporting Ingredients:
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 0.5 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or line with parchment paper for hassle-free removal.
- Crush 3 ripe bananas into a smooth consistency using a fork, pressing and mashing thoroughly.
- Whisk ½ cup melted butter, ¾ cup sugar, 2 room temperature eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into the mashed bananas until perfectly blended.
- Separately combine 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in another bowl.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into banana mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Your batter should look slightly lumpy.
- If desired, sprinkle ½ cup walnuts or chocolate chips into the batter, distributing evenly without overmixing.
- Transfer batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula to create an even top.
- Slide pan into preheated oven and bake precisely 50-60 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick that should emerge clean when inserted.
- Rest bread in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Overripe bananas are the secret to the most flavorful banana bread, so let those bananas get super dark and spotty before baking.
- When mixing the batter, stir just until the dry ingredients are incorporated to keep the texture tender and prevent a tough, dense loaf.
- For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour with a reliable gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum for better structure.
- Adding a sprinkle of raw sugar on top before baking creates a delightful crispy crust that adds texture and a subtle caramel-like crunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg