The Ultimate Banana Bread
Tired of the same ole recipe with barely any banana flavor? Have I got the ultimate banana bread recipe for you.
About the Ultimate Banana Bread:
Total time- 1 hour, 35 minutes- including cooling time. Serves 8- 1 inch slices.
Follwers of my website know I am a big fan of America’s Test Kitchen. I love their inovation, testing and fantastic recipes. They often take something simple and give it a much needed boost. That is the case with this banana bread.
Who here didn’t bake a few dozen loaves during the 2020 quarantine? I recently saw a meme that comidically named Banana Bread as the 2020 Person of the Year for Time magazine. But, aren’t we all looking to up our game at this point in our baking?
The ATK version is so fantastic, but after baking this loaf over 6 times, I felt it dried out if the bananas were not black and you did not get all that banana juice out by microwaving. I could never get out the 3/4 cup they promised. Being lazy and not wanting a house full of fruit flies, I looked for another way of adding flavor. So… I opted for adding a tablespoon of molasses, vanilla bean paste and nutmeg. Wow! Big difference.
Yes- this recipe requires a bit more time, but I promise you the effort is worth it.
Ingredients in The Ultimate Banana Bread:
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- kosher salt
- nutmeg
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- molasses- mild- not black strap
- vanilla bean paste- buy our acclaimed paste HERE
- walnuts (optional)
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- very ripe- almost black bananas, PLUS- one ripe banana for garnish
Equipment needed for this recipe:
- 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf or baking pan
- fine sieve
- microwave safe bowl
- silicone spatula
- large mixing bowl
- plastic wrap
How to make this banana bread:
Other banana recipes to try:
- Banana and pumpkin muffins
- Banana custard French toast
- Southern banana pudding
- Family size banana split with dark chocolate sauce
- Monkey squares with brown butter frosting
- Banana cake using a box mix
Common Questions:
Use mild molasses. I like Grandma’s brand.
YES! Frozen bananas are perfect for this recipe. Thaw them in the strainer placed over a bowl in the fridge. They will also thaw in the microwave, but fridge thawing helps release a bit more juice.
Traditional supermarket bananas barely have any real ” banana” taste to them. Microwaving the fruit and then reducing the juice creates a strong banana flavor that will add not only great moisture but incredible tropical flavor. I highly recommend not skipping this step. Using banana essence or bottled flavor will make the bread taste chemically.
No- you need very ripe- very speckled bananas to have successful banana bread with any recipe. Let them ripen up a few more days. If you need to bake this recipe right away- many grocery stores will sell (or give you) over ripe fruit.
Yes- once baked, cool the loaf completely, wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months. To defrost- let the banana bread thaw in the fridge overnight. You many want to toast up individual slices to serve.
I love it, just barely toasted, with a bit of softened salty butter or apple butter.
No, they are optional.
Pro tips for a great banana bread:
- Toast the walnuts before adding to the batter. It provides a stronger nutty flavor.
- Use very ripe- almost black bananas. See my photo above for the perfect color.
- Don’t skip the sugared sliced bananas garnish. It adds so much interest and lets people know you’ve baked something really special.
- Do not use Black Strap molasses- it is too bitter. THIS is the brand I prefer.
- Whole nutmegs provide the best flavor for the batter. I never buy pre-grated nutmeg- it has almost no flavor. I buy my whole nutmeg’s on the spice aisle or from World Spice in Seattle.
- Do not use a plastic bowl to microwave the bananas. The micro-plastics can seep into the juice.
Which loaf pan to use- metal or ceramic?
In the two photos below, I baked the top loaf in a metal loaf pan and the bottom in a ceramic pan.
I find I like the crispy edges the metal pan provides and the way it conducts heat. I also like how the bread pops right out of the metal pan. Sometimes, my ceramic pan gives me a little trouble. I think the butter and flour tend to “slide” down and not stick as well.
Here is the link for the metal loaf pan from Sur La table I use most often. It is $29.95 and never lets me down.
Either way, a well prepared baking pan- a good layer of butter- and a light dusting of flour, will ensure a great result.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter 1 stick melted
- 2 unit Large eggs beaten
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 TBSP molasses*
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup walnuts toasdted and chopped- optional
- 2 tsp sugar
- 5-6 unut very ripe almost black banana peeled
- *- if you can strain more than 1/2 cup of syrup from the bananas you can omit the molasses.
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a microwave proof bowl, place peeled bananas and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until bananas have released their juices. Place bananas in a strainer over a small saucepan and let juices drain into pan. After 5-7 minutes, you will have about 1/2 cup of juice. If you have more than 1/2 cup, omit the molasses. Press with a spoon or spatula to help the fruit release more juice. Remove strained bananas and set aside for mashing. Cook banana liquid over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup- about 5 minutes. Take bananas from strainer and mash well.
- In another bowl, mix together mashed bananas, banana liquid, butter, eggs, brown sugar, molasses* (omit if you have more than 1/2 cup of banana juice/syrup) and vanilla paste or extract.
- Combine banana mixture into flour mixture. Do not over mix. A few streaks of flour are okay. Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Garnish with ripe bananas slices (see my photos) and sprinkle sugar on top.
- Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
