Everyone has a banana bread recipe at this point, right? I assume that the pandemic turned us all into experts when it comes to this delicious treat. In terms of sweet loaves like this, I typically look up a baseline recipe and end up tweaking it as I go. The good news is that banana bread is forgiving with customization; you have substitution options based on what is on hand in your pantry. It's also a one-bowl recipe, so you'll have it in the oven after a few minutes of prep!
I bought bananas to use as snacks and breakfast for my nine month old, but we didn't get through the bunch in time before they got a bit too brown. So of course you know what that means...
I'm not going to force you to read a novel. Let's just get to the good stuff.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup melted butter or ghee
1.5 cups gluten free flour (see notes)
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
brown sugar and cinnamon for topping
additional options: chopped nuts, vegan chocolate chips
*Note: I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour. It can be used as an exact substitute to all-purpose flour with no conversions! I've found it is cheapest at Walmart (about $5!). You can also find it reasonably priced on iHerb.com, and Amazon. Obviously you can use all-purpose flour if you have no need to avoid gluten.
*To make this a vegan loaf, swap the egg for a flax egg.
Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3qbpAZ8
King Arthur Brand, $8: https://amzn.to/3OzwSz4
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mash the ripe bananas in a large bowl, then incorporate all wet ingredients.
Add dry ingredients and mix well; it will be a tacky consistency.
Fold in crushed nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Spoon into a greased bread pan. It will seem like a shallow amount of batter, but trust the process.
Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes; check for completion by inserting a toothpick in the center.
Let cool before removing from pan.
And that's it! Easy peasy. Banana bread is a popular and common recipe, but this blog is for me as much as it's for you! I pull up my own website when I need a recipe; I treat this space as my digital cookbook or recipe index. I have tons of recipes written in notebooks, my phone notes, on scrap paper, the back of receipts...I want to get them all saved in this blog to make life easier.
Editor's Note: I was pregnant for most of 2022, and gave birth in October, so I was living in the "new baby bubble" through the winter. I definitely lost my love for cooking at home as I navigated such a big transition. My culinary notes were tucked away and for the first time since graduating with my culinary degree, I stopped studying and hunting for more food knowledge. But July 2023 has finally changed. I'm on new medication for my mental illness, I became a full time stay at home mom, and started feeling like myself. I have a cooking passion firing up again and can't wait to share more weekly recipes! Thank you so much for your endless support.
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