Description
Homemade rich banana bread delivers a delightful twist on classic comfort baking. Warm spices and ripe bananas create a moist, flavorful loaf perfect for breakfast or afternoon snacks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large ripe bananas, mashed (1 ½ cups or 360 g)
- 2 cups (250 g / 8.8 oz) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g / 7 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (115 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60 ml / 2 fl oz) sour cream or plain yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- ½ cup (80 g / 2.8 oz) chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Heat oven to 350F (175C) and coat loaf pan with grease or line with parchment paper for easy release.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Blend flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl, whisking until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Butter Transformation: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, creating a voluminous base for the bread.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Add eggs individually, then mix in mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and sour cream or yogurt until achieving a harmonious, silky consistency.
- Batter Completion: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, incorporating nuts or chocolate chips with minimal stirring to maintain a tender texture.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, leveling the surface, and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, indicating perfect doneness.
- Cooling and Serving: Rest bread in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and enjoying the rich, moist banana bread.
Notes
- Choose Ripe Bananas: Select overripe, dark-spotted bananas for maximum sweetness and deeper flavor intensity. Extremely soft bananas provide natural sweetness and moisture.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir dry and wet ingredients gently to maintain a tender, light texture. Aggressive mixing develops gluten, creating dense, tough banana bread.
- Control Moisture Balance: Add sour cream or yogurt to enhance richness and prevent dryness. These ingredients contribute subtle tanginess and keep the bread exceptionally moist.
- Customize Mix-Ins: Experiment with chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans for personalized texture and flavor variations. Lightly coat mix-ins with flour to prevent sinking during baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 132
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg