Home Kitchen Old-school Banana Bread

This Familiar Banana Bread recipe yields an incredibly satisfying and moist bread. Ripe bananas are mashed and mixed in a simple batter spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Slice and serve with salted butter.

We’ve been baking a lot.

Everything from blondies and chocolate chip cookies to cake and banana bread. You name it, we’ve baked it. However I realized I didn’t have a straightforward banana bread recipe. There’s one with a streusel topping, another is studded with chocolate chips and there’s also one with a cheesecake middle. A simple, straightforward banana bread I did not. Until today that is.

Since everyone’s been staying in, there has been a lot of banana bread making. Our social media feeds are proof of that. Most likely because there’s a yeast shortage and lots of uneaten bananas on countertops.

Got ripe bananas? Make banana bread.

There’s nothing ultra glamorous about this dish. You won’t find brown butter, chocolate chips or dark rum. This it’s only your basic recipe for a truly moist and incredibly savory banana bread.

Basically it’s reliable.

To cook this Old-school Banana Bread Recipe Set out:

• unbleached all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• baking soda
• ground cinnamon
• nutmeg
• quite ripe bananas
• soft unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• light brown sugar
• eggs
• milk
• vanilla
• kosher salt
• salted butter, for serving

In a mixing bowl, measure and add 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda and ground cinnamon and rounded 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

With a whisk, mix until combined and then set the bowl off to the side.

Then in separate bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas with a fork. Set this aside for a moment.

Grab a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment) and add 1 stick (1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons) softened unsalted butter with 1/2 cup each granulated and light brown sugar.

Mix on medium-low speed until light and creamy.

To that, add the mashed bananas, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix on low to medium-low until combined.

Gradually add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time, mixing until incorporated.

With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to insure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Grease 2 standard loaf pans before dividing the batter among each one, about 1-1/2 cups per pan. I have a lot of success with the cooking spray that also has flour in it. Rarely does anything stick to the pan!

Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly.

Since I had one ripe banana leftover, I cut it in half and place one on top of each loaf. You can do this with 2 bananas, only slightly stagger the halves on each loaf.

Place both pans on the middle rack of your preheated 325° oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and/or with a few crumbs still attached. If there’s any trace of batter, place the pan or pans back into the oven and bake for 2 minutes more or until done.

Allow the banana bread to cool in the pans for 10 to 20 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to finish cooling.

So pretty! And my home smells memorable right now!

Slice and serve with softened salted butter! Obviously I like thick substantial slices of banana bread (extra butter).

And coffee. Always coffee.

HOW TO GO-TO STORE AND FREEZE THIS Old-school BANANA BREAD:

Allow the bread to cool completely before storing. This short bread will last up to 3 to 4 days on the counter if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. For freezing, double wrap each loaf in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 4 months.

Enjoy! And if you give this Old-school Banana Bread Recipe recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!