Chef notes
When I was very young, bread was the first thing I ever baked by myself. But that recipe called for yeast, rising and all sorts of steps. Then I came to know the wonder of baking sweet fruit breads. My imagination soared with ideas for sweet, new bread possibilities. Banana bread was my first favorite and always will be.
Swap Option: Swap out bananas for canned cherries or apple pie filling.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 or 4 ripe bananas
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup walnuts (ground, chopped or halved), plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 375 F.
2.Cream together butter and sugar.
3.Add one egg at a time and mix wet ingredients well.
4.Add the mashed banana (pre-drizzled with maple syrup and cinnamon, if desired).
5.Combine all wet ingredients thoroughly.
6.Add flour, baking soda and baking powder, a little at a time, then gently combine.
7.Fold in walnuts.
8.Spoon batter into pre-greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pan.
9.Top with walnuts and brown sugar.
10.Place in oven and bake for about 1 hour. Depending on the exact oven temperature, loaf may require an additional 5 minutes of baking time. Let the bread cool before cutting.
