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This Award Winning Banana Bread Recipe comes out super moist, soft, and tender every time. Bake it once and treasure the recipe forever.
Love bananas? Check out my delectable chocolate chip banana muffins.
Banana Nut Bread
This recipe was created by a school friend’s mom. She called it ‘Banana Nut Bread’. She loved to enter baking competitions and this recipe won the banana bread category every time she entered.
Her recipe was moist, tender, and full of banana flavor! I dreamed of that banana bread through the years! So when recently reconnected with my friend, I happily got the recipe along with her blessing to share it with all of you!
Why This Recipe Works
- The vanilla, buttermilk, brown sugar, and butter add layers of flavor that marry perfectly with the bananas.
- Using a combination of white and brown sugar add sweetness without being overly sweet.
- The buttermilk works with the baking soda to rise into a beautiful tender loaf.
How To Make The Best Banana Bread
A great banana bread needs to be moist! There’s nothing worse than a dry loaf! This recipe adds moisture in every way possible. Brown sugar, butter, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and of course bananas add moisture ensuring this loaf stays moist for days. There’s no need to top your slice with anything. I’m telling you, it’s just not needed!
What Bananas For Banana Bread
This may surprise you, but the best bananas to use in baking aren’t yellow; they’re brown or black. At the very least spotted with black. I say the blacker the better, but avoid using bananas that are oozing or growing mold.
How To Quickly Ripen Bananas
Slice the bananas, add them to a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for 30 seconds at a time until soft and easily mashed with a fork.
Alternatively, place unpeeled bananas on a baking pan for 15-20 minutes in a 250° oven.
How To Make Banana Bread
Add the bananas to a bowl with the warm, melted butter and mash using a fork or potato masher.
Add the oil, buttermilk, beated eggs, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
If you don’t have buttermilk to hand, you can make your own. 1 cup of buttermilk is equal to 1 cup milk (semi skim or half and half work well too) and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
For this recipe: Mix 1/4 cup milk + 3/4 teaspoon vinegar.
In a second large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the banana mixture.
Mix to combine and add the chopped nuts.
If you’re not a fan of Banana Nut Bread, feel free to omit the nuts. It won’t affect the recipe at all.
Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan.
Bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice to serve.
Tips For Best Results
- Be sure to follow the steps of the recipe. Mixing the dry and wet ingredients well separately before combining them helps to avoid overmixing. Overmixing will create a dense, tough loaf.
- Measure your flour correctly by using a measuring cup meant for dry measurements, and level off the top of the cup once the flour is scooped. This will ensure you’re not adding extra, which will result in a dry loaf.
- To avoid the banana bread sticking to the pan, use a good quality, non-stick pan that’s greased well with baking spray or shortening (butter can cause sticking). When in doubt, line the pan with greased parchment paper.
- If you’re not a fan of Banana Nut Bread, feel free to leave out the nuts.
- Love Nuts? Use a combination of your favorite varieties!
More Amazing Banana Recipes
FAQs
Is there a difference between banana bread and banana cake?
Banana bread has a more bread-like consistency and typically isn’t as sweet as banana cake.
Can you freeze banana bread?
Yes, it freezes really well. Cool completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap and foil or place in a freezer bag for up to three months.
Alternatively, you can freeze individual slices by placing them in a freezer bag separated with pieces of freezer paper.
What can I put in banana bread?
You can add chocolate chips, berries, dried fruit, and mixed nuts for a variation to traditional loaves.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Award Winning Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 bananas (very ripe to black)
- 5 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- ¼ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with shortening and set aside.
- Add the bananas to a bowl with the warm, melted butter and mash using a fork or potato masher.
- Add the oil, buttermilk, beaten eggs, and vanilla. Mix well to combine.
- In a second large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the nuts and pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon until combined (the mixture will be thick).
- Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
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