The Best Banana Bread + BHM Virtual Potluck

This Best Banana bread has a texture that is incredibly moist, dense, soft and fluffy with golden crusted top. It has big banana flavor that’s not overly sweet and studded with chopped walnuts. You won’t need another banana bread recipe!  It’s so easy and melt in your mouth good. Just 10 minute prep and no mixer needed. 

Create a vision that makes you want to jump out of your bed every morning ~ Unknown

It’s almost Valentine’s Day and Black History month!  I have teamed up with 27 talented black food bloggers Black History Month Virtual Potluck. For every day of black history month, a black food blogger will showcase their very own favorite recipe.  Check out the links to their recipes below! 

BANANA BREAD 

Who loves banana bread! I do!  I can’t get enough of it. When I’m craving it, I usually hit the net for a good banana bread recipe but not this time.

This time, I wanted to make my very own so did some banana bread research and I’m sharing the most important details with you! This bread.. omg smells wonderful as it bakes. You can usually tell when something is going to be good just by the way it smells. Especially banana bread. Your home will smell like a bakery. But the taste is even better. The bread is no where near dry. It’s so moist and soft.  I seriously doubt that you’ll have leftovers. You wan’t be able to eat just one slice.

My sweet son Josiah, he’s going to be 5 soon. He’s autistic. Well, he is super picky. I’m telling you he won’t eat much of anything. The food he will eat, I can probably count on one hand. No cakes, cupcakes, donuts, no desserts at ALL, but I’m shocked he LOOOOVES this banana bread. If I let him eat the whole loaf, he would probably go for it! I don’t blame him though.  

But before I begin. Did you know that Feb 23rd is National Banana Bread Day? I know what I’m making on the 23rd and I hope you know too! Hint, hint 😊.  I may just decide to make my cream cheese banana bread since I haven’t had it in while. 

Now to the recipe. Banana bread should have LOTS of banana flavor so make sure you use VERY ripened bananas. I’m talking black bananas.

If you only have fresh bananas, you can ripened them quickly in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Add the bananas and bake until the bananas are very very dark. 

Another tip. If you have bananas that are going bad. Don’t toss them. Place them in a Ziploc bag and into the freezer. When you are ready to use them. Let them defrost for about 30 minutes at room temperature. 

HOW TO STORE BANANA BREAD?

If you don’t gobble it all up, you can  store banana bread in saran wrap or use an air tight container for up to 3 days on the counter. Banana bread will last up to a week in the fridge.

You can also freeze it while it’s still a loaf or slice it. Wrap it tightly in saran wrap or foil then place it into a ziploc bag. When you are ready to enjoy it,  let it defrost the night before in the refrigerator or place it on the counter. If you are heating up the whole defrosted loaf, bake on 325 F for 15-20 minutes.  

HOW TO MAKE BANANA BREAD?

Again, make sure to use dark black bananas.  Un-peel the bananas and place them into a bowl. Mash with a fork until most of the clumps are gone. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the same bowl with the mashed bananas. Mix well. (steps 1-3). 

In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix GENTLY to combine.
Avoid over-mixing (steps 4-6). 

Add the walnuts or your choice of add-ins.  Gently mix the walnuts into the banana bread batter. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or when a toothpick is inserted in the center and it comes out with no crumbs. Cool for about 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve.  Enjoy! (steps 7-9)

5 from 1 vote

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Best Banana Bread

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Tender and moist banana bread that will melt in your mouth! So easy to make and no mixer required! 

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread, quick bread

Servings: 6 people

Author: April

Ingredients

• 3 bananas mashed
• 1/2 cup canola oil vegetable oil is fine too
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 plus 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl add the mashed bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix well. 

2. In a larger bowl add the flour, baking powder sugar and salt. Whisk to combine

3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mix. Gently combine. Don't over mix. Add in walnuts or your choice of add-ins. *See notes. 

4. Pour the batter into a misted with nonstick spray loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or when a toothpick is inserted in the center and it comes out with no crumbs. Cool for about 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

TIPS FOR BANANA BREAD:

1. Bananas should be very dark in color (use black bananas).

    

    

2. To ripen banana fast, preheat the oven to 300 F. Place the bananas on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until darkened. FYI, baking times may vary.
   

    

3. Don't get rid of your old spotted bananas. Place the unpeeled bananas in a Ziploc bag and into the freezer. Make sure to remove excess air. They will freeze fine for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use them, defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter. 

    

    

4. Mist your pan with a nonstick cooking spray .  

    

    

    

5. Mash the bananas in a small bowl. Using a fork. Mash the bananas until the chunks are gone. 

    

    

6. Use room temperature eggs. To quickly get room temp eggs place them in a bowl with warm water for about 10 minutes.

    

    

7. Use oil instead of butter. Oil helps coat the flour which in turn keeps it from absorbing too much water. In other words, tender and moist banana bread. 

    

    

8. Once you pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient, GENTLY mix the batter just until combined. Do NOT over mix the batter.

    

    

9. Wrap the banana bread tightly in plastic wrap once it's warm to keep it from drying out overnight.

You may also like:

Blueberry Corn Muffins

Banana Dutch Baby

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Italian Hot Chocolate

If you like this recipe then save it to your Pinterest Board and follow me on PINTEREST . You can also bookmark this recipe by sharing it on your Facebook. If you know someone that would enjoy this recipe share it with them!  As I promised, here’s the list of 27 other talented black food bloggers. There’s southern recipes, Caribbean recipes and more. Warning! Everything looks amazing! Which one do you want to try?