For the Love of Banana Bread

I have been making banana bread for years. It’s something I can whip up without having to pull out a recipe and an easy weekday breakfast addition if I’m up early enough. We always have bananas on hand, and the ones that are getting a little too ripe are perfect contenders for creating this tender, delicious bread. The recipe I learned from my sweet mama and still use today is: 1 stick unsalted butter softened, a scant 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 to 3 mashed bananas (depending on size), 1/4 cup milk, 2 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. It’s easy from here: cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs, vanilla, bananas, and milk, separately combine the flour, salt, and baking soda, and then gently fold this mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter goes in a greased 9 x 5 pan for 50-55 minutes on 350 degrees. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (By the way, these wire racks from Pampered Chef are literally the best cooling racks ever. It’s actually a joke in my family because I love them so much. If you typically use those silver/metal racks, you’ll be blown away by these.)

The other banana bread recipe I make a lot is from Cookie and Kate. She has a Healthy Banana Bread recipe that is easy, delicious, and contains a few key swaps… namely whole wheat flour for refined white flour, maple syrup or honey for white sugar, and unrefined coconut oil (I use avocado oil) for butter. The recipe also calls for cinnamon in the batter and sprinkled on top, which is an excellent addition. The house smells fabulous when the kids come down for breakfast.

If you want to go a more decadent direction, try the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread from Weelicious.com. It’s very similar to my mom’s but adds chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out moist, sweet, and delicious. Finally, one recipe I have yet to try but want to soon is this Nourishing Almond Flour Banana Bread from Ambitious Kitchen. For those of you needing a gluten-free option, this is for you. I don’t always have almond flour on hand, but Costco typically carries a 3 pound package of it for $12.99 which is a great deal. At my local grocery store, almond flour generally runs around $10 for a pound or less. This gluten-free banana bread also has chocolate chips in it, so you’re getting a little chocolate fix as well.

Do you have a favorite banana bread recipe that you’ve been making for years? Are you a banana bread purist or do you like to add chocolate chips, walnuts, dried fruit, or something else? If you do have a favorite recipe, please leave a comment below and share!