Need I really say anything more to convince you? Good ol’ banana bread… that ingenious way to use up overripe bananas. How lovely art thou when baked with buttermilk, brown sugar and chopped walnuts?! I am waxing eloquent about this humble snack/dessert/breakfast bread, because it’s been a while since I baked banana bread.
You see, back when I’d just started this blog, I found a recipe with peanut butter in it (you can find the recipe here, it is tried and tested and I have got lots of rave reviews about it) and it was insanely delicious. Didn’t ya hear me? I said it has peanut butter in it! And oh, I also have a peanut butter glaze recipe to slather on top of it. Since then, every time I craved banana bread, I made it with peanut butter and glaze. That can be rather heavy, as you can imagine. So mostly, I let those stinky, brown bananas go to waste.
Then I found this recipe on Pinterest that claimed to be THE best banana bread recipe. I tried it and loved it. So I am glad to say that I have resorted to making banana bread again, of course with some modifications to the original recipe. The main alteration being the amount of sugar used, of course. 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a 9×5 loaf just sounded too much even for a sweet tooth like me. The last time I made this, I added a handful of chopped walnuts to the batter and teeny spoonful of brown sugar was sprinkled on top for a crunchy crust. It was amazing. Chocolate chips would be nice too.
You will need:
- Eggs – 2, large
- Oil – 1/2 cup
- Buttermilk – 1/3 cup (or substitute with a spoonful of yogurt mixed with regular milk to make up 1/3 cup)
- Brown sugar – 1 cup, lightly packed + 2 tbsp (to sprinkle on top, optional)
- Ripe bananas – 1 cup, mashed (2-3 bananas)
- Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
- All purpose flour – 1 3/4 cup
- Baking soda – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Walnuts – a small handful, roughly chopped
How to:
- Pre-heat the oven to 325 deg.F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with foil.
- Beat the eggs, oil and buttermilk together till creamy.
- Add the mashed bananas, vanilla extract and brown sugar and beat till combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the batter. Mix till just combined. Add the walnuts too.
- Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar on top, if you like.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes till the top is nicely browned and it passes the toothpick test. If your bread is taking too long to bake and the top is browning too rapidly, tent with foil and bake till done.
The teeny-weeny sprinkling of brown sugar makes the crust totally delicious. You could add a small handful of your favorite nuts or even chocolate chips for a decadent treat.
Nothing beats the smell of cake or bread baking in the oven. And banana bread combines the best of both worlds. Is it bread? Is it cake? It’s super banana bread (with brown sugar and nuts!)… yum!!
It makes the perfect tea-time snack and a fairly guilt-free breakfast too.
Tell me, do you have a favorite banana bread recipe? What ingredients do you add to change things up?
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Baking 4 mini loaves as I type. I melted butter in place of the oil and added 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg just as a lil zip and twist.
This is a favorite at our home!
The temperature is not hot enough 350 not 325 took me 80 minutes to bake. I then realized the temperature.
I love banana bread, this recipe sounds great. Question can you use a food processor for this recipe?
Can I use white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour?
Of course!
This is my new favorite banana bread recipe! I reduce the brown sugar by half, not because it’s better that way but because it eases my guilt just a titch when I scarf down a thick warm slice for breakfast!
Hello Marie,
That’s awesome! And I’m totally with you on having a big slice of this at breakfast 🙂
Yes this is a good recipes but I only had 1/4 c of brown sugar so I used 1/4 c coconut sugar and applesauce in place of oil. I was bad and added chocolate chips and nuts! LOL I’ll try it again verbatim when u have all ingredients. Thanks fir posting this.
This looks absolutely scrumptious! Saving the recipe and will try it!
Thank you, Mira. Hope you give it a try!
Looks delicious!!! I love banana bread 🙂
If this is THE BEST recipe, I just may have to try it!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. I hope you do try it!
I love banana nut bread. It’s one of my favorites. Thank you so much for sharing with us on Twirl and Take a Bow. Hope to see you again on Tuesday! ~Tammy
Thanks you, Tammy. And thanks for hosting!
Looks delicious Anjana. Walnuts and banana go great together, Smart girl you are 🙂
Thank you, Namrata!
I love banana bread! I like to eat it in the morning with a little cream cheese on it. Thank you for sharing this at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House! Hope to see your prettiness again on Monday at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Cream cheese sounds good! Thanks for hosting, Kathryn.
Yum, I love banana bread! I actually have some bananas on hand and will have to try this! I am doing a giveaway today and would love if you would stop by and check it out! http://www.thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com/
Thank you!
I’m always looking for a great Banana Bread!! Yum!!
Do try this recipe. I am sure you will love it!
Yes indeed, I will!!!
We eat so much banana bread in my house. It’s my husband’s baking staple. He does it well. He’s somehow whittled the sugar down to 1/4 cup for a two loaf batch. I usually wind up topping mine with a little honey, he likes his as is. Also, if you like tart, try cranberries in your next batch. To die for. Terrific food photos.
That sounds great! Thanks for the idea.
I love the flavor buttermilk gives baked goods. I’ve never tried it in banana bread. Thanks for the idea!
It’s absolutely heavenly! Do try it.
And now I’m craving banana bread! It’s one of my favorites. I’ll have to check out that peanut butter banana bread recipe – sounds like a dynamite combo to me!
I can relate to that craving. The PB version is divine. Do try it and don’t forget the glaze too!
Looks very tempting
Thank you. Do try it!
Your recipe sounds lovely! And I like the fact that you reduced the sugar and substituted it with brown sugar.
Thank you. I love brown sugar and it pairs so well with bananas.
yum! can never go wrong with banana bread!
You sure can’t! Hope you enjoy this recipe.