HOMEMADE BANANA BREAD

Recipe by Sally's Baking Recipes

5 out of 5 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

With its super-moist tecture, buttery banana and brown sugar flavors, an incredibly soft crumb, this is the best every banana bread recipe. Not overwhelmingly sweet; dense, but still quite tender and soft; and a straightforward, simple recipe: what more could you ask for? You will need four ripe bananas to begin!

PREP: 10 MINUTES
COOK: 65 MINUTES
TOTAL: 3 HOURS
YIELD: 1 LOAF

INGREDIENTS

*contains gluten, dary, and optional nuts

~2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)

~1 teaspoon baking soda

~1/4 teaspoon salt

~1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

~1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, soften to room temperature

~3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar

~2 large eggs, at room temperature

~1/3 cup (80g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature (I use Greek yogurt)

~2 cups (460g) mashed bananas (about 4 large ripe bananas)

~1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

optional: 3/4 cup (100g) chopped pecans or walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

3. Using a whisk, beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

4. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Beat in the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined.

6. Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the nuts, if using.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60-65 minutes.

8. Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil after 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely.

9. Cover and store banana bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Banana bread tastes best on day 2 after the flavors have settled together.

Cream Cheese

This banana bread also tastes fantastic with cream cheese frosting! To make it, beat 4 ounces (112g) of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup (60g) of softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1 cup (120g) of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. Spread on cooled loaf.

Banana Bread Muffins

Use this banana bread recipe to make 2 dozen banana bread muffins. Pour the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total bake time for the banana bread muffins is about 22-23 minutes. The initial burst of hot air helps those muffins rise nice and tall! Or try my quick & easy banana muffins.

Recipe from Sally's Baking Recipes