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Banana Bread

955 Ratings

443 Comments

Prep 15 min
Total 2 hr 30 min
Servings 24

Rich buttermilk, crunchy nuts and flavorful, ripe bananas make this banana bread tops. MORE + LESS -

Ingredients

1 1/4

cups sugar

1/2

cup butter or margarine, softened

eggs

1 1/2

cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)

1/2

cup buttermilk

teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon salt

cup chopped nuts, if desired

Steps

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1

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches.
2

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans.
3

Bake 8-inch loaves about 1 hour, 9-inch loaf about 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

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Expert Tips

Mini Banana Breads make great gifts! To make, grease bottoms only of 10 miniature loaf pans, 4 1/2x2 3/4x1 1/4 inches. Divide batter among pans (about 1/2 cup each). Bake 30 to 35 minutes.
Stir 1/2 cup chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips into the batter for mouthwatering flavor combinations.
Rise to the occasion! If using self-rising flour, there is no need to add baking soda and salt.
No buttermilk on hand? In an emergency, you can mix 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar and enough milk to make 1/2 cup. Or substitute 1/2 cup plain yogurt.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Slice

Calories: 70
Calories from Fat: 20

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 2 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol: 15 mg
Sodium: 95 mg
Potassium: 40 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
Dietary Fiber 0g
Protein: 1 g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 2%; 2%
Vitamin C: 0%; 0%
Calcium: 0%; 0%
Iron: 2%; 2%

Exchanges:

1 Starch;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Although the true origin of banana bread is not known, the longstanding favorite has been around at least since the 1930s. This version of banana bread has appeared in all editions of the Betty Crocker™ Cookbook, but there are several variations of the classic recipe. Banana bread is in the quick bread family; the quick bread family includes loaves, muffins, scones and biscuits. Because they’re leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast, the preparation time is shorter. With less preparation time, learning to make banana bread is much simpler than you might think. A few tips to keep in mind: overmixing the batter makes banana bread tough; the batter should be mixed until the dry ingredients are moistened. You should also only grease the bottom of the loaf pan and allow the loaf to cool for at least two hours before slicing.
Do you ever set aside overripe bananas with the good intention of making banana bread?

I used to, though I would seldom actually get to the making part before they crossed the line between overripe and rotten. That was in the before time (as in before my kids became a natural predator of bananas ... seriously, we go through so many bananas each week here. And no, that isn't a bad thing at all).

These days, if I want to make banana bread, I have to hide a few bananas so no one tries to eat them before I can. Or, I have to take unripe ones and do a quick-ripe trick on them. There are two methods I know of:

Place the unripe bananas in a paper bag with an apple and let them sit in a cool, dry place for 1-2 days. They will be perfectly ripened and ready to use.
Microwave 2-3 unpeeled, unripe but almost all yellow bananas for 10 seconds. Let sit. Flip over and microwave for another 10 seconds. Do NOT do it for any longer than 10 seconds a side.

Do you have a ripening trick? Share!

Now, if you are like me and can't seem to remember to make the bread before the bananas become unusable, there is a simple solution so that you don't waste the bananas: simply peel the overripe bananas and freeze them in a resealable bag. (You may want to freeze them individually on a wax paper-lined baking sheet first, so that you can grab them one at a time as you need them.) When you are ready to bake, defrost however many you need and go.

Of course if your kids are eating all the bananas in sight, you might not get to the point of saving any ... Just sayin'.

If you are looking for a new recipe to try, I totally recommend my Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread. It has a subtle banana flavor that's enhanced with meaty walnuts and smooth, sweet chocolate chips. It makes a perfect dessert bread (or morning treat!).

Looking for something more traditional to try? Check out the Banana Bread recipe from Gold Medal. Make it with nuts or without - it will be good either way.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out these recipes:

Bananaberry Bread
Hawaiian Banana Bread
Buttermilk Banana Bread
Monkey Tail Bread
Mini Banana Bread

Sarah W. Caron (aka scaron) is a food writer, editor and blogger. Find her online at Sarah's Cucina Bella.