Our favorite banana bread bakes up into a nice tall, moist loaf with great banana flavor! It's buttery and sweet, but not too sweet - I've reduced the sugar amount over the years and added part whole wheat flour and either wheat germ or golden flaxseed meal to "up" the nutritional value.
1cupwhole wheat flourcan use all, all-purpose flour
1/4cupground flaxseed meal or wheat germoptional
1teaspoonbaking soda
3/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cup (1-stick)butterroom temperature
1/3cupbrown sugar, packed
2/3cup granulated sugar
2large eggs
1 1/2cupsmashed ripe bananasapprox. 4 large bananas
1teaspoonvanilla
1/2cup buttermilksee note
Optional Toppings/Add-Ins:
1cupchopped nuts
2/3cupmini chocolate chips
1teaspooncoarse turbinado or sparkling sugaror regular granulated
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange oven rack to lower position so top of pan will be in center of oven.
Grease bottom only of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. (see note)
Stir together dry ingredients in medium bowl: flour(s), baking soda, salt and flaxseed meal/wheat germ (optional).
Using stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugars for several minutes or until fluffy and lighter in color.
Mix in eggs one at a time, then mix in the bananas, vanilla and buttermilk.
Add dry ingredients and mix until almost all incorporated. If you're adding nuts or chocolate chips, add them now. Scrape the bowl and beater and finish mixing by hand with a spatula. (You don't want to over-mix.)
Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out only with a few moist crumbs.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife along the edge of the bread. Turn bread out onto cooling rack. Allow to cool until just warm before slicing. Allow to fully cool before wrapping.
Lasts for 2-3 days wrapped on countertop. Can be frozen.
Notes
Buttermilk:
If you don't have buttermilk, you can use:
1/2 cup regular milk
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt + 1/4 cup milk
Add 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice to measuring cup, fill up to 1/2 cup marking with milk - let sit 5 - 10 minutes
Pan Size:
If using other sized pan(s), fill 2/3 full with batter. You will need to adjust bake time.
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