Five Banana Banana Bread
Moist, tender, and bursting with banana flavor, thanks to the use of five (!!) entire bananas in one loaf.
Ingredients
- 5 large very ripe bananas
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- turbinado sugar optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Peel bananas and place them in a medium-large pot set over medium-high heat. Mash bananas well with a fork or a spatula until they are broken down and begin to release liquid. Continue to mash and stir while the liquid comes to a simmer. Let the banana mixture bubble for 4-5 minutes, until the liquid is visibly reduced, then remove the pot from the heat.
- Add butter to the pan with the bananas. Wait for the butter to completely melt, then whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs and the vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
- Sprinkle flour, baking soda, and salt over the mixture. Fold gently, just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and there are no streaks. Don’t over mix!
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan, smooth with spatula, and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, if desired. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a knife or a long toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan before removing. Slice and serve!
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Notes
- Substitute white whole wheat flour: I've swapped up to half of the all-purpose for white whole wheat and been happy with the result.
- Add spices: This recipe is all about the banana as is, but if you want something more, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg makes a nice addition.
- Add mix-ins: You can add walnuts, other nuts, or any other mix-in you like to the batter just before scraping into the pan to bake. If adding chocolate chips, allow the batter to cool to room temperature before mixing them in to avoid melting--unless you want more of a chocolate swirl effect.
- Use frozen bananas: You can freeze bananas whole, peel and all, then defrost at room temperature or in the microwave, peel, and place directly in the pot to begin cooking. Alternatively, you can peel ripe bananas, then break them apart into chunks and freeze in a Stasher or any freezer-safe zip-top bag. If going this route, you may want to label the bag so you remember how many bananas are in there.
- Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 241 kcal, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 47 mg, Sodium: 204 mg, Potassium: 227 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 19 g, Vitamin A: 304 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 23 mg, Iron: 1 mg