Our Greatest Banana Bread Recipe – A Couple Cooks

This straightforward banana bread recipe is just the perfect! This moist, candy, golden fast bread is a kitchen important.

Banana bread is a kitchen staple, and we’re assured this one must make its approach into your recipe rotation. This straightforward banana bread recipe makes use of only one bowl and customary pantry components to make the perfect loaf. It bakes up golden, moist, completely candy and scented with a touch of cinnamon. There’s no want for secret components: simply ripe bananas and quarter-hour. Right here’s easy methods to make banana bread and concepts for easy methods to customise it with mix-ins, glazes, and extra!

Elements on this straightforward banana bread recipe

Banana bread is an previous American commonplace: it began showing the 1930’s in cookbooks when house cooks had entry to baking powder and bananas. It could have stemmed from the Nice Melancholy as a approach to make use of up ripe bananas. Through the years, it’s grow to be as important to American tradition as apple pie. It’s the preferred approach to make use of ripe bananas in baked items.

This banana bread recipe makes use of widespread pantry components to make a moist, candy loaf. Some recipes embody methods like bitter cream so as to add moisture, however this recipe doesn’t want it. Right here’s what you want for the perfect banana bread:

• Very ripe bananas
• Eggs
• Granulated and brown sugar
• Melted butter or impartial oil
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Kosher salt

Use very ripe bananas

The important thing to the perfect banana bread is utilizing very ripe bananas. Bananas with a blackened peel convey added moisture, sweetness, and pure fruity taste to baked items like bread, muffins, pancakes, cookies, cake, and extra.

• Don’t use unripe bananas! The peel ought to have a considerable amount of black spots, or be uniformly black in coloration.
• If the bananas have mildew on the peel, don’t use them. Bananas with mildew or these leaking liquid needs to be discarded.
• You possibly can freeze very ripe bananas and use them in baked items later. For those who don’t have time to us very ripe bananas, freeze them by peeling them and slicing into rounds. You should utilize them later for bread, muffins and extra: simply ensure to incorporate the liquid that separates from the fruit within the batter.

Butter vs oil in banana bread

This banana bread recipe makes use of melted butter within the batter, which makes it straightforward to make in a single bowl with no mixer required! Listed below are a number of notes on butter versus oil in breads:

• Butter lends a richer taste and makes a extra even crumb. Utilizing a dairy fats brings a young, even crumb and texture to a fast bread.
• Oil makes it even moister, and works as an alternative. The feel is a bit spongier with oil, nevertheless it works effectively! You possibly can substitute a impartial oil like vegetable or grapeseed for the butter right here.
• Or, you should utilize a mixture of the 2. Utilizing half butter and half oil additionally has nice outcomes.

One other professional to utilizing butter: cook dinner it a couple of minutes longer when melting to make brown butter, which provides a toasty, caramel taste to the bread. Vegan butter additionally works as an alternative.

Pan dimension variations

This banana bread recipe works for each 9 x 5″ and eight x 4″ pan sizes with a slight modification. Listed below are a number of notes:

• 8 x 4“ pan: This pan dimension works effectively should you solely have 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (and never 2 cups, as known as for within the recipe under). You can also make this recipe in an 8 x 4″ loaf pan utilizing 1 ½ cups bananas and 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour. Watch the bake time and regulate accordingly.
• 9 x 5″ pan: Make the recipe as written under for a 9 x 5″ loaf pan. You can even make it with 1 ½ cups bananas and flour, nevertheless it is not going to be as tall in form. Once more, regulate the bake time accordingly.

The right way to know when banana bread is finished

The one difficult half about baking fast breads like this banana bread recipe is easy methods to know when they’re achieved. Listed below are a number of visible cues to search for:

• Banana bread is finished when the highest is ready and comes again, and a tooth choose inserted comes out with a number of clinging crumbs. The toothpick take a look at doesn’t need to be totally clear! In truth, if it comes out clear the bread could also be overdone.
• The bread is cooked when the interior temperature is 200°F. You can even insert the probe of a meals thermometer to evaluate when the bread is cooked by means of.

Banana bread variations: mix-ins and toppings

Banana bread is a canvas for infinite variations! Listed below are a number of concepts for additions to this banana bread recipe:

• Toasted nuts: Fold ½ cup toasted pecans or toasted walnuts into the batter.
• Chocolate chips: Fold ¾ cup semi-sweet or darkish chocolate chips into the batter, then prime with one other ¼ cup.
• Blueberries: Toss 1 ½ cups blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then fold them into the batter (the flour helps to forestall sinking).
• Cinnamon sugar topping: Combine 2 tablespoons granulated or brown sugar with ½ teaspoon floor cinnamon, and sprinkle it throughout the highest.
• Streusel topping: Combine ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup flour and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Lower 2 tablespoons room temperature butter into small items, then use your fingers to rub it into the dry components till crumbles type. Sprinkle over the bread and bake. Cowl with foil at 30 to 45 minutes to forestall burning.
• Brown butter: Make the bread with brown butter as a substitute of melted butter so as to add nutty and caramel notes.
• Glazes: Enable the bread to chill totally, then drizzle with vanilla glaze, cream cheese glaze or maple glaze.
• Frosting: Enable the bread to chill totally, then prime with cream cheese frosting.

Methods to serve banana bread

There are a number of artistic methods to serve banana bread if you wish to re-purpose leftovers. Strive Banana Bread French Toast by chopping it into slices, then dipping it in an egg combination and frying it for breakfast. Or serve it as a dessert “a la mode” by topping a slice with ice cream, salted caramel sauce, and chopped pecans.

Dietary swaps

There are a number of methods to vary up a banana bread recipe to make it vegan or gluten-free! Listed below are a number of notes:

Banana bread storage

Banana bread holds up effectively over time. It lasts 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil or refrigerated for 10 days. You can even freeze it for as much as 3 months: slice it into items and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container.

Tell us what you consider this recipe within the feedback under. We hope you adore it as a lot as our household does!

Extra banana bread recipes

This traditional recipe has many variations. Listed below are a number of extra banana bread recipes to attempt: