This is the best banana bread recipe hands down! Full of banana flavour and the right amount of sweetness, this recipe is perfect for when you have exhausted your smoothie intake and don’t know what to do with your overly ripe bananas.
Bananas are an absolutely beautiful and delicious fruit when they are bright and yellow; however, the second the banana starts to take a turn to becoming overly ripe my perspective changes (I can’t be the only one). As the banana becomes more ripe I immediately go from eating them straight off the peel to adding them to smoothies or baking my Best Banana Bread recipe. There is no in between. When bananas become overly ripe their texture changes, their flavour intensifies and they become extremely sweet lending themselves ideally for baking, making ice cream, oatmeal, overnight oats, pancakes and smoothies.
Is Banana Bread a Bread or Cake
Is banana bread a bread or a cake? this is the question I have heard asked many times and in my opinion I would say it’s a cake. Bread is made with yeast which helps the bread rise. In the case of banana bread it is made with baking soda and baking powder to help it rise which is very similar to how cakes are made. And the fruit component , mashed bananas, is something that is seen more often in cakes and not so much in breads. Traditionally, banana bread is also baked in a loaf pan and may also contribute to it’s name.
What You Need To Make Banana Bread
This dream of a bread (?cake) can be easily made with a few ingredients, a large bowl and of course the star attraction, bananas.
Bananas – you’ll need bananas, the ones with the dark spots on it, the darker the banana the better. Like most of us you may have a collection of these in the freezer or sitting on the counter. These bananas are soft and extremely sweet which makes them perfect for baking. Remember to thaw your frozen bananas before mashing them.
Flour – I have always been very loyal to all purpose flour and it has always been loyal to me. Remember not to pack your flour when measuring it. Packing it will only increase the amount of flour in your recipe causing your banana bread to be too dry. There’s a lot of information out there with respect to flour and the different types, if you would like to learn more just click here.
Sugar – white sugar or brown sugar can be used for this recipe. Brown sugar definitely holds more flavour and moisture but in this case I wanted those elements to come from the bananas. If you are going to use brown sugar make sure to pack your brown sugar, to press out any tiny air pockets stuck in between the large sugar crystals. This allows you to maximize the amount of sugar used.
Salted Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted. I normally use unsalted butter for baking but for this recipe something about the salt content in the butter that creates the perfect balance and an incredibly tasty banana bread. If you are using unsalted butter make sure to add 1/4 tsp of salt to the batter.
Baking Soda – you will find most recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder to help the loaf rise. I just used baking soda as I find adding the baking powder gives it too much of a fluffy crumb.
Eggs – Large or extra large room temperature eggs are ideal for this recipe.
Vanilla – honestly, real extract or artificial, they both work very well in this recipe.
Optional ingredients – there are many other ingredients you can add to banana bread to make it that much more delicious. Spices, chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, dried fruit, and seeds are all great additions to this banana bread recipe.
How To Measure Your Flour
The best way to avoid packing your flour is to scoop/sprinkle it into a measuring cup – allowing air to flow into it. Scoop enough flour to overflow your measuring cup and level it off by scraping the excess off with a knife.
How To Store Banana Bread
If you haven’t devoured your banana bread on the first day it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days or in the refrigerator for about a week. They crust will soften in texture but the crumb will remain moist, I would say even more moist the next day. Banana bread freezes very well and can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Equipment
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