Banana Bread

Serves: 6

Santiago Howell

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

51

Spice

44

Sweetness

56

Sourness

47

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.4

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 cups

Flour

1 tsp

Salt

1.5 tsps

Baking Powder

1 cup

Sugar

2

Eggs

Directions:

1

Heat the oven to 350°F

2

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with softened butter

3

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl

4

Mix together the melted butter and mashed bananas in a separate bowl

5

Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined

6

Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients just enough to combine everything

7

Gently fold in the nuts and coconut if you’re using them

8

Pour the batter into the prepared pan

9

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out almost entirely clean

10

Cool the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it upside down to release the loaf

11

Serve warm or at room temperature or wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature for a couple days

12

Heat the oven to 350°F

13

Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with softened butter

14

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl

15

Mix together the melted butter and mashed bananas in a separate bowl

16

Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined

17

Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients just enough to combine everything

18

Gently fold in the nuts and coconut if you’re using them

19

Pour the batter into the prepared pan

20

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out almost entirely clean

21

Cool the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully turn it upside down to release the loaf

22

Serve warm or at room temperature or wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature for a couple days

23

Variations: Honey Whole Grain Banana Bread: For a delicately sweet, nuttier bread, substitute 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup oat bran for the all-purpose flour

24

Reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup and whisk in 1 teaspoon cinnamon

25

Add 1/4 cup honey to the melted butter

26

Chocolate Banana Bread: Reduce the flour to 1 1/2 cups

27

Add 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder to the flour

28

Fold up to 1 cup chopped dark chocolate into the batter

29

Tropical Banana Bread: Brown sugar and a few choice add-ins transform basic banana bread into a tropical treat

30

Replace half the sugar with 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

31

Fold 1/3 cup chopped dried pineapple, 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, and 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts into the batter

32

Orange Banana Bread: Whisk 2 tablespoons grated orange zest into the dry ingredients

33

Mix 1/4 cup fresh orange juice into the melted butter and bananas

34

Pumpkin Bread: Substitute 1 cup pumpkin purée for the bananas

35

Whisk 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves into the dry ingredients

36

Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the bananas

37

Cut the butter down to 5 tablespoons

38

Apricot Cream Cheese Bread: The soft tang of cream cheese is a wonderful flavor and texture enhancer for quick breads

39

Replace the bananas with 1/2 cup apricot purée (soak 1/2 cup dried apricots in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons soaking water, and then purée)

40

Reduce the butter to 3 tablespoons

41

In a separate bowl, beat 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese with the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until well combined

42

Stir the apricot purée and butter mixture into the cream cheese mixture, then add the dry ingredients

43

Honey Whole Grain Banana Bread: For a delicately sweet, nuttier bread, substitute 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup oat bran for the all-purpose flour

44

Reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup and whisk in 1 teaspoon cinnamon

45

Add 1/4 cup honey to the melted butter

46

Chocolate Banana Bread: Reduce the flour to 1 1/2 cups

47

Add 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder to the flour

48

Fold up to 1 cup chopped dark chocolate into the batter

49

Tropical Banana Bread: Brown sugar and a few choice add-ins transform basic banana bread into a tropical treat

50

Replace half the sugar with 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

51

Fold 1/3 cup chopped dried pineapple, 1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, and 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts into the batter

52

Orange Banana Bread: Whisk 2 tablespoons grated orange zest into the dry ingredients

53

Mix 1/4 cup fresh orange juice into the melted butter and bananas

54

Pumpkin Bread: Substitute 1 cup pumpkin purée for the bananas

55

Whisk 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves into the dry ingredients

56

Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the bananas

57

Cut the butter down to 5 tablespoons

58

Apricot Cream Cheese Bread: The soft tang of cream cheese is a wonderful flavor and texture enhancer for quick breads

59

Replace the bananas with 1/2 cup apricot purée (soak 1/2 cup dried apricots in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain, reserving 2 tablespoons soaking water, and then purée)

60

Reduce the butter to 3 tablespoons

61

In a separate bowl, beat 1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese with the eggs, vanilla, and sugar until well combined

62

Stir the apricot purée and butter mixture into the cream cheese mixture, then add the dry ingredients