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Banana Bread

Prep 15 min
Total 2 hr 30 min
Servings 24

This recipe for banana bread has appeared in every edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook that’s ever been printed, and no wonder. It’s beloved by hundreds upon hundreds of home cooks for its speedy 15-minute prep time and its great-every-time results. MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

September 20, 2018

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.

Store overly-ripe bananas in the freezer until you have enough to make bread.
Cut up thick slices of the bread and freeze them for a lunch box treat or for an on-the-go breakfast, toasted and spread with peanut or almond butter.

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Expert Tips

No buttermilk on hand? Make your own “clabbered” or sour milk: stir in 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice or cider vinegar into 1/2 cup milk. Or use unflavored yogurt, thinned with a little bit of milk.
Mix up the nuts you use in the bread or substitute other types of baking ingredients, like chunks of chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, or dried fruit like cranberries, cherries, or chopped dates.
Don't want to make an entire loaf? Go mini! 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.

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

Once upon a time, very few Americans had ever seen a banana, much less eaten one. The 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, with a 40-acre display of tropical plants, including banana trees. During the exposition, individual tinfoil wrapped bananas were sold for the princely sum of ten cents. By the turn of the century, refrigerated steamships and railway cars were bringing bananas to all parts of North America. It took enterprising home cooks a few years more to realize the baking potential of starchy, sweet bananas in quick breads, but soon there were many versions of banana bread and banana nut bread featured in popular magazines and cookbooks. When you’re ready to get started, follow this step-by-step guide to making banana bread. Remember that easy does it when you’re mixing dry ingredients into wet--the batter should be stirred just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Try more variations on the classic banana bread recipe.