I love banana bread but never actually tried making it myself. There is a first time for everything, so here we go.
I looked up a recipe for Banana Bread and went with this one that looked easy to make and ingredients I had on hand.
SPOILER: It is really freaking good and really easy.
Recipe
- 2 Bananas
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
Prep
Preheat oven to 350° and select two over ripened bananas.
Step 1 - Mash bananas
I could have waited another day or two for the bananas to ripen even more. It would have resulted in a more naturally sweet end result. This recipe has a lot of sugar so the sweetness of the bananas isn't critical.
Peel the bananas and put them in a large bowl.
Mash them up until you have the consistency you see here. You don't need a mixer and you don't have to mash them too much, it will develop as you add the rest of the ingredients.
Step 2 - Add 1/3 cup of butter
You will need to melt the butter in a microwave or pan before adding it. I prefer to always under heat my butter as it results in a better final product.
This is a good consistency where you can finish the process during the mixing phase.
Mix in the butter so it looks something like this.
Step 3 - Add 1 teaspoon baking soda & vanilla extract
This step is pretty easy and not much to it. Add in the baking soda and vanilla and mix.
Step 4 - Add 3/4 cup of sugar
You can add more or less sugar based on your taste. I found 3/4 cup was perfect, riper bananas you might be able to try less added sugar.
Step 5 - Add egg
You are not baking until you cracked some eggs.
I wouldn't suggest overmixing, but mix it up until you have a nice smooth consistency. I still had some minor lumps from the bananas but at this point, they are very smooth.
Step 6 - Add 1 1/2 cup of flour
We are now at the end of our ingredients list.
Give everything a good mix until you have the consistency you see here. I did all the mixing with a fork and was rather gentle. I found folding motions helped mix the ingredients well.
Step 7 - Prepare bread pan
I first coat the pan liberally with butter.
I then add some flour and shake it around until it looks like this.
Step 8 - Pour in mix to pan
Just pour what we have into the pan, and use a spatula to ensure you get everything. You really don't want to miss a drop.
Step 9 - Bake for 50 minutes
After around 50 minutes you should be able to poke it with a toothpick and remove it cleanly. If there is any mix on the toothpick you need to cook it a little longer.
Step 10 - Enjoy!
This is by far the best part.
Feel free to throw some more butter on it, and enjoy it warm.
PRO TIP: Don't tell anyone you made banana bread or they will eat it.