Banana bread is a classic, super soft, moist bread made with ripened bananas. It is sweet and cake like, quick bread and is a very easy recipe to bake with just a handful of ingredients from your pantry.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Overripe bananas are the best! They make the best bananas for banana bread.They aren’t just yellow but they have streaks of brown and black on the skin.The darker the better, there’s no such thing as a too-ripe banana when you’re making banana bread.
How many mashed bananas make a cup?
If you are going to use mashed bananas, then it will take 3 bananas to make a cup. If you are using sliced bananas, then for a cup, you will need 1 1/2 bananas.
Can you blend the bananas?
Yes, you can blend together bananas, oil, brown sugar, flax seed paste and vanilla in a blender first. Then, spoon the banana mixture from the blender into the bowl with the dry ingredients and 1/2 cup milk.Mix all together until mixture is well combined. Spoon batter into a buttered or greased loaf pan.
Note : I am using flax seed paste to substitute for eggs, you may use eggs for the recipe.
How can I quickly ripen bananas for banana bread?
Let’s assume that you know how to pick and choose the right bananas to bring home from the store or you can check out my post here to see how. Then you decide to make this bread on a weekend, coz you are expecting company and your bananas are not over ripe yet? What do you do?
No worries!
Poke unpeeled bananas all over with a fork or knife, then put them on a paper towel or plate and microwave on high for 30 seconds at a time, repeating until they’re as soft as you want them.
They might not be as sweet as the oven-ripened versions, but they’ll be easy to mash for your muffins and quick breads.
Is banana bread healthier than normal bread?
Considering that a slice of it contains more than 60 grams of total carbohydrates (equivalent to 4 slices of bread), 20-30 grams of fat and at least four teaspoons of sugar, it is safe to say that there is nothing healthy about banana bread except the bananas.
That said, you are certainly allowed to occasionally indulge in a sweet treat without guilt now and then.
Banana bread Recipe
Classic Soft Moist Banana Bread
4
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutes2263
kcal1
hour30
minutesIngredients
1 1/2 cup 1 1/2 All purpose flour
1 tsp 1 Baking soda
1/2 tsp 1/2 Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp 1/2 Salt to taste
3 large 3 Bananas
1/4 cup 1/4 Unsalted butter(melted) /Ghee
1/4 cup 1/4 Coconut Oil
3/4 cup 3/4 Brown sugar packed
2 tbsp 2 Flax seeds soaked in water and made into paste
1 tsp 1 Pure Vanilla Extract
Directions
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Use nonstick cooking spray to grease your loaf pan. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork. Add the melted butter and oil and stir until combined.
- Stir in the brown sugar, flax seed paste, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.Do not over mix.Gentle folding of the batter should do the trick.If you over mix the bread will flatten and end up heavy.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Check the bread at 50 minutes, just to be safe. Oven times vary.
- Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan.
- Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm.
- Cut into slices and serve.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories2263
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 66g 102%
- Saturated Fat 49g 246%
- Sodium 2482mg 104%
- Potassium 2043mg 59%
- Total Carbohydrate 405g 135%
- Dietary Fiber 22g 88%
- Sugars 211g
- Protein 28g 57%
- Vitamin A 5%
- Vitamin C 44%
- Calcium 24%
- Iron 67%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
What can I use if I don’t have vanilla extract for banana bread?
Some say the Vanilla extract helps to mask the smell of eggs in the recipe.Vanilla, adds more depth of character to the cake making it a bit more complex in flavor. It is OK to miss adding it once in awhile, if you don’t have it n your pantry.
Remember, the star players in the recipe are bananas, sugar and cinnamon.
What can I substitute for Vanilla extract if I don’t have it handy?
- Maple syrup
- Almond extract (use sparingly coz it is very potent, though it carries a similar flavor profile)
- Bourbon, Brandy ,Rum ( you see where it is headed already!)
- Instant coffee
- Citrus zest
What can I add to banana bread?
You can always add the following ingredients, to make you banana bread taste even better.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg
- Peanut butter for some extra protein
- Dry fruits like almonds, walnuts etc
What happens if you leave baking soda out of a recipe?
While baking cakes and bread we look for the airy light texture in them. This is provided by the baking soda, which is a leavening agent.It creates air bubbles in the batter (carbon dioxide), when heated, thus making our baked goods rise to the desired levels.
Baking powder and baking soda both produce carbon dioxide, which helps raise or “leaven” baked products. Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves.
Why is my banana bread so dense?
An over-mixed batter will result in a dense, rubbery loaf, so it is best to gently fold the batter once or twice before pouring it into the loaf pan.
The more you mix your batter, the more gluten is developing in the bread – which is great for a yeast-risen, chewy loaf, but not so great when you’re hoping for a tender, soft quick bread.
How long should you let the banana bread cool?
Set the loaf, still in the pan, on a wire cooling rack. Let it cool for 10 minutes because this helps the loaf solidify and makes it easier to remove from the pan.
How do you keep banana bread moist after baking?
It should always be kept in plastic wrap, tin foil, or an airtight container to keep it from drying out or to prevent it from going bad early. You can extend the life of your bread up to about a week by refrigerating it. It needs to be wrapped tightly.
Should you refrigerate banana bread?
Generally there is no need to refrigerate it, you can keep it in an airtight container in a cool place, but if you live in a hot climate then you may want to keep the bread in a container in the refrigerator. Since if the bread is kept out in warm weather it tends to ferment after a few days and goes bad.
How to freeze and thaw banana bread for use later?
Though I have not tried it personally, I know some of my friends who try to freeze banana bread for a longer period. The trick is to wrap the whole loaf in aluminum foil and then store it in a zip-lock bag.It is best to squeeze as much air out as you can without smooshing the bread. Plop it in your freezer and when you want to eat it, take it out set it on the kitchen counter for 20-30 minutes and then microwave it for 30 seconds and enjoy eating it.
Does banana bread taste better the next day?
Banana and Zucchini breads always taste better the next day.So if you can resist the urge to take a bite immediately, wrap it in foil or plastic bag after it has cooled down completely.Leave it at room temperature to be enjoyed the following day.
List of my other dessert recipes
Here is a list of some of my tried and tested cake recipes for your interest.Click on the names to be directed to the recipe post.
- Eggless Avocado Cake
- Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Cake
- Strawberry Cupcakes
- Turkey Cupcakes
- Chocolate Fudge Snowman Cupcakes
- Roasted Chocolate Cherry Brownies
The Bottom Line
Now that you know all about making Banana Bread making, will you give it a try in your kitchen.It is the easiest and quickest recipe to make. What’s more your kids would love it. What with bananas turning overripe in a few days due to the summer weather, plenty of chance to try out the recipe!
Do give it a try and let us know how it turned out for you.
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