Banana Bread
Course: treatDifficulty: Easy10
servings10
minutes1
hourI’m not sure if this recipe originated with my grandmother or my mother. What I do know is that every time my mom or I make it, we call each other and say, “What’s that special thing you do?” For me, it’s that I like to use a fair amount of salt, as it cuts the sweet. My mom likes to use bananas that are almost black with ripeness, just seconds before mold sets in. (And sometimes a few seconds after.) Either way, this recipe makes utterly delicious and decadent banana bread. You can add dairy free chocolate chips (I like this kind) or walnuts, though I’m of the opinion that nuts don’t belong in treats. I realize this is an unpopular opinion. Experiment and see what inspires you! Also, be sure to see my note at the bottom of the recipe regarding dairy free butter.
Ingredients
4 very ripe bananas, fully mashed
1/3 cup melted butter substitute (see note)
1 egg, beaten
1.5 teaspoons vanilla
3/4ths cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 generous teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350. Use a coconut or avocado oil spray to grease a 4×8 inch loaf pan.
- Using a stand mixer or a large bowl, mix the butter into the mashed bananas. Mix in sugars, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the cinnamon, salt, and baking soda over the liquids and mix well. Finally, mix in the flour.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about an hour. Start checking the bread at 45 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle. The bread is done when a fully inserted toothpick comes out clean. You’ll want to watch the bread carefully near the end of the cooking time to ensure that you caramelize the edges of the bread while still fully cooking through the middle.
- Carefully turn out the bread onto a cooling rack. Slice to serve, and attempt to not eat it all in one sitting.
Notes
- Non-dairy butters cook differently. I have found that the best butter substitute for this recipe is Earth Balance sticks. DO NOT USE tubs of any kind of butter substitute in baking as the increased oil content or the whipping of the butter makes it runny in the batter, and creates baking disasters. Trust me on this one.