Banana bread isn’t usually something I
plan to make. I don’t have the patience to buy bananas and wait around for them to get to the extra-ripe phase. Usually, banana bread happens when I buy bananas for something else, like an oatmeal breakfast, or a post-workout snack, and don’t manage to eat them all before that critical extra-ripening occurs. Then, I whip out this recipe. It’s super simple, you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry already, and it’s such a crowd-pleaser (in my experience, even people who don’t like bananas like banana bread!). So, bring it along to your book club, or serve it with afternoon tea, or have it for breakfast, or send it in your kids’ packed lunches. The possibilities are endless!
Bonus: I like to make this all in one bowl, which I do by measuring everything (except the teaspoons) out by weight. Just place a large mixing bowl on a kitchen scale and add everything in the correct order, being sure the scale is set to grams and that you reset it after each addition. Plus, grams will give you the most consistent result (without sifting), but I’ve also included cup measurements for your convenience.
Southern Banana Bread
6-10
15 minutes
60 minutes
75 minutes
3 medium, overripe bananas
½ cup (125g) unsalted butter, softened
10 tablespoons (125g) white sugar
2/3 cup (125g) dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (250g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup (175g) chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium-large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth (a few chunks are ok). Add the butter and mix until combined. Add the sugars and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla and mix.
In the same bowl, measure and add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and fold the dry ingredients into the wet (making figure eights with your wooden spoon or spatula, or turning the batter over so the bottom layer comes to the top again and again; this is just a more gentle way of stirring and ensures your banana bread wont be too dense) until everything is homogenous.
Add the chocolate chips if desired and fold a few more times.
Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out mostly clean, with just a few crumbs on it.
Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving.
