The only Banana Bread recipe you need!

Banana bread is such a big favourite in our home. I guess I cook it every other week or whenever there are some ripe bananas around. But until now, I never quite got the recipe right for my liking. I think I have tested about eight different banana bread recipes and finally, I have managed to adjust and mix just so to get the recipe just right – soft, bready, bananaish and absolute delight to enjoy. It’s insanely easy to make, using basic ingredients and a little love.

So let’s get to it!

The ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 100 g butter, melted
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 200 g sugar (I tend to use brown coconut sugar and white sugar, half and half)
• 2 medium size eggs, beaten
• 5 g bourbon vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 330 g whole-wheat flour

Optional

This is to add some crunch, flavour, some personality to the banana bread. It can be dried fruits, chocolate, nuts, whatever comes to mind. I usually like to use white chocolate because it serves some extra sweet bites. And nuts for a little crunch. And cinnamon.

• 125 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 50 g walnuts
• 1 banana, for decoration

The preparation

Preheat the oven 175°C and prepare the bread tin (I use 9x30cm) by buttering it.

Take a bigger bowl and using a fork mash the peeled ripe bananas until completely smooth.
Add the melted butter and other dry ingredients, combine them with a spatula.
Whisk eggs and add them to the batter.
Mix again.

Now is the time to add all the extras and carefully fold them in.

The baking

Pour the batter into the prepared tin. If you wish to garnish the bread with bananas then put them on now.

Put the banana bread into the oven, middle rack and bake for 50 minutes. You should check it after about 45 minutes just in case.

The banana bread is ready when testing it with a clean knife and if it stays clean.

Let it cool completely before taking it out from the tin and eating it.

*Comments from experimenting:

I have tried using four to even six bananas just because why not, right? Well, the banana bread became very moist and didn’t get a good rise. So, if more moist banana bread is your preference then add some bananas.

The amount of sugar seems kinda much, but trust me, it’s for a reason. If added less sugar the banana bread becomes kinda bland.

The flour. I have tried making banana bread with almond and wheat flour mixture. Didn’t come out very nice.
Tried with coconut flour. It made the loaf quite dry and dense.

Once, accidentally, forgot to add the melted butter. Again the result was a bit dry and the outer crust was more to the softer side.

But of course, as always, feel free to play around with the recipe and enjoy the process.

Have a great weekend!

K