Banana Bread is a staple in most homes and is a wonderful comfort food recipe. Our family makes this Banana Bread Recipe at least once a month in either bread or muffin form. Never throw away old bananas, just freeze them and save them for this wonderful bread recipe. I make a great one these days but my first attempt is something that I am teased about still to this day.
There are days when cooking is just not my thing and the first time I made banana bread was one of them. Even now…… twenty five years later, I still feel the sting of humiliation. I was newly married and wanted to make it for my husband. My sister had given me one of those homemade cookbooks, that you buy at church fairs and school fundraisers, and it had a recipe I thought I would try. As I was reading it, even I thought maybe 5 tbsp. of baking powder was a little much, but hey, what did I know? I am alone in my apartment experimenting and at the exact moment I add the baking powder, it begins to rise like Mt. Vesuvius into some strange, freaking, elementary school science project! As it overflows the bowl, onto the counter and then the floor, the front door opens and who walks in… my husband and is brother! I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, because they saw their prey and pounced. These are the two most hilarious, sarcastic men I know and they had a field day. This is one of the many cooking disaster stories that they tell and even I have to say, if it was anyone else but me, it would be hysterical.
After all these years, and lots of practice, I make a great banana bread and they both will agree.
Don’t be afraid to take whisks – Unknown
The bananas need to be ripe….not pretty, just over ripe. I actually freeze the bananas, so I always have some available. The skin will turn black, but they are perfect inside. Sift all dry ingredients. (Hint: if you don’t have a sifter, use a whisk and very carefully whisk the dry ingredients together). Add in all the other ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour. Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.
This can also be made gluten free, I have used the King Arthur Gluten Free Flour in the past and it worked wonderful. You can add chocolate chips or nuts too, it would be a great addition. If you would like to see more, check out the Recipes page on my blog Sunday Chefs.
Allergens: Eggs, Gluten
Banana Bread
Materials
- 2 cups all purpose flour Can substitute whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3 bananas very ripe (brown skins)
Instructions
- The bananas need to be ripe… not pretty, just over ripe. They can even be previously frozen.
- Sift all dry ingredients. (Hint: if you do not have a sifter, use a whisk and very carefully whisk the dry ingredients together)
- Add in all the other ingredients. (Mix until just combined and no dry lumps)
- Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for at least an hour.
- Check with toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.
This is the recipe that started it all – Aunt Betty’s Fish Chowder. Aunt Betty was the best, I don’t know where to begin to even describe her. Betty was my dad’s sister and was like his second mother. My dad was the baby and the only boy and she loved him fiercely. Betty never had children of her own, so she doted on him, even though he would never admit it. She also showered us with love and treated us like her own children as well. Her house in South Boston, Ma., by the beach, was a warm and welcoming place that we would gladly allow our parents to leave us there whenever they wanted. Sadly, Aunt Betty died when I was in college and never got to meet my children, she would have been so thrilled to see our children and to spoil them rotten.