Our Greatest Banana Bread Recipe – A Couple Cooks

This simple banana bread recipe is solely 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 manner into your recipe rotation. This simple banana bread recipe makes use of only one bowl and customary pantry components to make the easiest 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 learn how to make banana bread and concepts for learn how to customise it with mix-ins, glazes, and extra!

Substances on this simple banana bread recipe

Banana bread is an outdated American commonplace: it began showing the 1930’s in cookbooks when residence cooks had entry to baking powder and bananas. It might have stemmed from the Nice Despair as a manner to make use of up ripe bananas. Through the years, it’s develop into as important to American tradition as apple pie. It’s the most well-liked manner to make use of ripe bananas in baked items.

This banana bread recipe makes use of frequent 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 carry 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 colour.
• If the bananas have mould on the peel, don’t use them. Bananas with mould or these leaking liquid ought to be discarded.
• You possibly can freeze very ripe bananas and use them in baked items later. If you happen to don’t have time to us very ripe bananas, freeze them by peeling them and slicing into rounds. You should use them later for bread, muffins and extra: simply be certain that 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 simple to make in a single bowl with no mixer required! Listed here are a couple 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 in its place. 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 need to use 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 in its place.

Pan measurement variations

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

• 8 x 4“ pan: This pan measurement works effectively in case you solely have 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (and never 2 cups, as referred to as for within the recipe beneath). 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 modify accordingly.
• 9 x 5″ pan: Make the recipe as written beneath for a 9 x 5″ loaf pan. You may as well make it with 1 ½ cups bananas and flour, nevertheless it is not going to be as tall in form. Once more, modify the bake time accordingly.

Find out how to know when banana bread is finished

The one tough half about baking fast breads like this banana bread recipe is learn how to know when they’re carried out. Listed here are a couple of visible cues to search for:

• Banana bread is finished when the highest is about and comes again, and a tooth choose inserted comes out with a couple of clinging crumbs. The toothpick check doesn’t should be totally clear! In actual fact, if it comes out clear the bread could also be overdone.
• The bread is cooked when the inner temperature is 200°F. You may as well insert the probe of a meals thermometer to evaluate when the bread is cooked by.

Banana bread variations: mix-ins and toppings

Banana bread is a canvas for countless variations! Listed here are a couple 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 high 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 stop 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. Reduce 2 tablespoons room temperature butter into small items, then use your fingers to rub it into the dry components till crumbles kind. Sprinkle over the bread and bake. Cowl with foil at 30 to 45 minutes to stop burning.
• Brown butter: Make the bread with brown butter as an alternative of melted butter so as to add nutty and caramel notes.
• Glazes: Permit the bread to chill totally, then drizzle with vanilla glaze, cream cheese glaze or maple glaze.
• Frosting: Permit the bread to chill totally, then high with cream cheese frosting.

Methods to serve banana bread

There are a couple of inventive methods to serve banana bread if you wish to re-purpose leftovers. Attempt Banana Bread French Toast by reducing 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 couple of methods to vary up a banana bread recipe to make it vegan or gluten-free! Listed here are a couple 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 may as well 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 beneath. We hope you find it irresistible as a lot as our household does!

Extra banana bread recipes

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