wowie so delicious!

sometimes simplicity is best. i believe this is true most of all for banana bread.

banana bread is probably the baked good i make the most often. when i was young, my mother always bought far too many bananas for us to eat. they would end up over-ripening on the counter while all the other fruit was long gone. this led to many weekends in which my dad and i made banana bread from recipes we found online. we would give away banana bread to my grandparents and aunts, then we would eat the remaining banana breads all week.

inevitably, i developed a distaste for banana bread. the forward banana-y flavor became offensive, the oily butter far too decadent. i continued to disseminate fresh baked breads around, without eating any myself.

it wasn’t until many years later that i ate banana bread again. i was served a huge slice from a dark walnut-studded loaf, which was inexplicably being stored in a giant mixing bowl. despite making and eating various internet banana breads, i had never had one like this. the bread was denser, but not fatty; darker, but not dry; spongy, but not tough. it was nothing like i had ever imagined banana bread to be, and it was perfect.

after that, i resolved to return to banana bread-baking. after all, i was a more experienced baker now, with the confidence to invent new recipes. i tested new recipes from online and from friends and family. i had friends and family test my recipe. i played with the recipe for over three years, to finally come to the one of the most simple recipes i have developed.

for friends that also love to experiment, here are a few quick notes:

1. too much moisture is the enemy of good banana bread: this includes, liquids, fats, and excess sugars (sugars melt and add moisture to baked goods). don’t go crazy with fats, butter, ect. the banana already adds most of the moisture you need that a lot of loaf breads don’t have. for this reason, i don’t believe that banana breads ever require milks. the worst banana bread recipes i’ve tested from online were ones made with milk. but if you have an argument for this, feel free to comment it.
2. account for variation in banana quality: if your bananas are small or sad, you may want to add more. if you don’t have any more banana, it’s fine to add full sugar or maybe a little more butter, even a dollop of apple sauce is good. don’t go crazy with apple sauce though, as it contains a lot of water, as per note 1. when in doubt, trust in your banana.
3. you can almost always cut sugar with banana breads: banana has the moisture that is sugar is required for in loaf breads. that’s why i love making it when my blood sugar is unstable or for my diabetic besties. anyways, too much sugar will make it into banana cake.
4. take into account the properties of your mix-ins: like to add chocolate? me too 🙂 but remember that chocolates, especially milk chocolates, will add oil to your bread. the final product may have a slightly different consistency than a plain or nut banana bread. generally, the difference will not be so huge, but if you are bothered by the smoother consistency, feel free to lower moisture levels by adding less butter and or sugar.

happy experimentation!

clearly i have been thinking about banana bread for too long.

anyways, i sincerely implore you to try the banana bread recipe with chopped walnuts. all shall be well. but do your favorite! or whatever you have on hand is fine. that’s what i usually do honestly. get create with it.

for banana bread, i firmly believe that less is more. i hope you enjoy it.

best & easiest banana bread,
all in one bowl

servings: 15 – 20 people

prep time: <15 minutes
cook time: 45 – 60 minutes
total time: ~1 – 1.5 hours

ingredients

2-3 tablespoons of butter
2-4 ripe bananas
1 egg
½-¾ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 ¾ cup flour
1 cup of chopped walnuts and or chocolate (optional)

instructions

1. preheat oven to 350 f / 175 c
   
2. butter and flour a 8.5 x 4.5 loaf pan
   
3. in large mixing bowl, microwave butter until melted
   
4. add bananas to the bowl. mash the bananas and combine them with the butter  
   
5. add egg and vanilla to the mixture. combine
   
6. add sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. mix until combined
   
7. add flour and mix until combined. avoid overmixing
   
8. fold in walnuts and or chocolate
   
9. pour mixture into loaf pan
   
10. bake for 45-60 minutes, until the crust has darkened and the bread springs back when poked

some notes

i usually bake the bread past doneness, as the darker crust produces a delicious flavor and pleasing consistency.

i prefer to put a little less than ¾ cup of sugar but you can put up to a cup of sugar if you have a sweet tooth. if you put too much more than that you will alter the consistency of the bread. when i am making the bread for diabetics, i lower the sugar to a half cup and add a bit more cinnamon to give the illusion of more sweetness.

if you choose to substitute vanilla extract with vanilla syrup, reduce the sugar.

i like to use 3 very ripe bananas and 1 yellow banana for contract in consistency.

sometimes bananas are a little dry. if you have this issue, you can add ½ tablespoon of butter and a little more sugar.

walnuts are my favorite in this recipe. creamy walnuts inside this lightly sweet bread are so nice.

when adding chocolate, i like to use a dark bar chocolate and chop it up into different size pieces. after all, everyone loves ✨✨heterogeneity✨✨.