Authentic Banana Bread Recipe United States of America, North America
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Halfway between a bread and a dessert, banana bread has a special place in the American cuisine — almost everyone knows how to make it, and almost everyone has their own family recipe or secret ingredient. Uncomplicated and versatile, banana bread can be served alone or combined with fresh fruit, ice-cream or cream cheese. The preparation starts by mixing the dry ingredients — sifted flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and/or baking powder in one bowl, and the wet ingredients — bananas, eggs, milk or water, buttermilk, vanilla, and oil or solid fats in another. The dry and wet ingredients are then combined gently, followed by nuts and other additions such as raisins, seeds or spices. Finally, the batter is transferred to a lightly greased loaf pan and baked for approximately one hour at 350˚F (180°C). Because of its dense texture, banana bread can remain fresh for an entire week if wrapped in plastic foil and kept in the fridge.
Pair with
Cooking tips
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bananas
Even though banana bread was most likely invented to save overly-ripe bananas, the truth is that it is better to use bananas that are just ripe. Overly ripe bananas may cause the banana bread to become gummy, while green bananas will make the bread crumbly and dry. If your bananas are not ripe enough, mash them, cover the bowl and leave for 30 minutes. The bananas can be mashed roughly, puréed in ... Read more -
nuts
Pecan nuts and walnuts are most commonly used to make banana bread. However, any other nuts — almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts — or seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin, linseed or chia will do. Nuts can be chopped or left whole, and toasting them briefly will give them a richer flavor. -
flour
Many banana bread recipes call for mixing regular, all-purpose flour with whole-grain flour. This is because whole-grain flour retains more liquid, hence making the banana bread moister and juicier. Sift the flour before stirring in other ingredients to remove clumps and achieve a lighter texture. -
sugar
The amount of sugar in banana bread can vary from one recipe to another. Still, there is one easy trick for extra tasty banana bread — toasting the sugar shortly. This is done by placing sugar in a glass or ceramic baking dish and baking it in the oven for 1 hour at 300˚F (150°C), stirring occasionally. Although most recipes suggest using white caster sugar, you can use brown sugar, unrefined sugars,... Read more -
fats
When it comes to fat, there are a few different options for banana bread — canola or other vegetable oils, butter, margarine, and coconut oil. The choice of oil depends on personal preference, but some recipes claim that coconut oil turned out to be the best option, since it is solid at room temperature, thus giving the banana bread a slow-melting sensation during eating. -
technique
The usual technique for making banana bread is mixing the dry and the wet ingredients separately. The wet ingredients are then added to the dry ones and folded gently until just combined. In this stage, avoid using the mixer, because it will make the batter too smooth, and the nuts may break your mixing paddles. -
baking
Usually, banana bread is baked in a greased loaf pan at 350˚F (180°C) for about 1 hour, or until the banana bread rises and becomes brown. To check if it is ready, insert a toothpick or a wooden stick into the center of the loaf — if it comes out clean, the baking is finished. Alternatively, you can check the internal temperature with a baking thermometer — it should be around 206˚F (100°C). The banana ... Read more -
other additions
Chocolate chips, dried and fresh fruit, seeds, nuts, spices, yogurt, honey, ginger, raisins, desiccated coconut — when it comes to banana bread, almost anything goes! If you use fresh fruit, especially berries, fold them into the batter very gently. Since the batter is quite thick, there is no need to cover them in flour like it is done with sponge cake recipes.
Recipe variations
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Classic Banana Bread
Ready in 1h 40minThe following recipe is adapted from the 1930 My New Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book and is one of the oldest printed recipes for banana bread. It shows the classic preparation of banana bread. This recipe uses shortening, which can be substituted with margarine, butter, or lard.
Pecan Banana Bread
PREP 40min
COOK 1h 5min
READY IN 1h 45min
This recipe shows how to make classic American banana bread enriched with pecan nuts.
Ingredients
Pecan Banana Bread
butter, for greasing pan
1 cup (120g) flour, plus more for pan
3⁄4 tsp baking soda
1⁄4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (200g) sugar
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) canola oil
1⁄3 cup (80 ml) buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2⁄3 cup (80g) chopped pecans
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
Preparation
Pecan Banana Bread
To begin, preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Butter a loaf pan and sprinkle with flour.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
In another bowl, blend sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. When the mixture becomes completely smooth, pour it over the dry ingredients and combine.
Add mashed bananas and pecans.
Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes. To check if the banana bread is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the loaf – if it comes out clean, the bread is baked.
Cool for half an hour, slice, and serve.
Other Variations
-
Classic Banana Bread
Ready in 1h 40minThe following recipe is adapted from the 1930 My New Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book and is one of the oldest printed recipes for banana bread. It shows the classic preparation of banana bread. This recipe uses shortening, which can be substituted with margarine, butter, or lard.
Other authentic recipes
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