Banana bread is one of the greatest products of curiosity and creativity of our brilliant bakers. With so much production in tropical countries – like a grass that grows even without meaning to – it’s just fantastic this recipe was even thought of. If you’re new to baking, you might not consider banana bread as a top choice to practice on. But in fact, it’s pretty straightforward. We’ll show you simple recipes of banana bread that, once tried, will certainly light up your creative nerves for some innovative next attempts.
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Basic banana bread recipe
Banana bread, in its modest glory, is very easy to make. The ingredients that make up its anatomy are not complicated also. Except for bananas, these are items that are commonly sitting in your kitchen cupboards biding their time to be consumed. Here’s among the simple recipes for banana bread we found from a popular food blog called Food Network.
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 ֯F.
- Combine all the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt – in a bowl except sugar.
- On a different bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in sugar.
- Get another different bowl and mash the bananas.
- Incorporate mashed bananas, vanilla, oil, and cinnamon with the egg-sugar mixture.
- Next, add the flour mixture gradually. Pour in a third at a time for easy mixing.
- Mix until a batter is formed.
- Pour into a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan.
- Bake for about an hour.
You’ll know that you’re headed towards the right direction when the top of the bread becomes compact with a brown-to-dark-brown color. If there appears a slight yellowish crack in the middle, it’s a good sign. Do a toothpick test by pricking the core of the bread. If it comes out clean, it’s all set. The baking time varies depending on the ripeness of the banana.
The riper it is, the more sugar it has. A couple of minutes before the supposed finishing time of baking, check the physical attributes of the bread for possible premature cooking or if there’s a need to regulate temperature.
Choosing the perfect banana
Before we come to the exciting part of innovation, let’s talk first about the star of this recipe – bananas. The choice of quality may either make or break the end result. A banana bread recipe may be forgiving but if you fail on the choice of banana, there’s a fat chance it could go downhill from there. The perfect banana for this bread may not be exactly as what’s on your mind right now – a smooth, perfectly ripe, clear yellow banana.
No. In fact, you need an overripe banana, one that’s very mushy and oxidized. The skin should be almost brown with dark streaks. If you don’t have some and you’re planning to bake in bigger batches, buy ones which are closest to this. Store them in the freezer and you’ll have excellently damaged, overripe bananas. This is the beauty of banana breads. Just when you thought uneaten overripe fruits are supposed to be chucked in the bin, think twice.
Choosing alternative ingredients
Banana bread is a very flexible recipe. If you don’t have this ingredient, you can replace with another one that’s not extravagant. On the other hand, if you want it extra special, you can easily experiment and swap one for another.
Flour can be exchanged with whole wheat flour. You can use any sweetener of your choice – brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, etc. As for the oil, feel free to give a try on any liquid provider like butter, milk, or yogurt. Water is even possible.
Variations of banana bread
Banana bread has almost always been a staple desert in most coffee shops. In order to stand out, bakers create innovative variations of it. While they may seem complicated, you will be surprised it’s actually a piece of cake. Either you toss in a new ingredient or replace one with another. We have enlisted a few simple recipes of banana bread which were given a couple of twists.
Cheesecake Banana Bread
This is a very simple adaptation of banana bread that takes the original to a whole new delectable level. It follows the basic recipe of banana bread with the addition of a cheesecake filling which is made by whisking together cream cheese, eggs, flour, and sugar. In doing so, the banana bread batter is placed in the bottom and top layer whilst the cheesecake is poured in the middle.
Chocolate Banana Bread
For sweet-lovers out there, here’s an exquisite way of making your sweet tooth happy. Just add chocolate chunks to banana bread batter and bake it the usual way. You may also add oven-crisped nuts to add texture and to balance the taste. My personal picks are chopped walnuts and crushed almonds.
Carrot Cake Banana Bread
Who says munching on sweet quick breads can’t be healthy? On this variation, we’re incorporating shredded carrots for additional nutrient source. If you’re a vegetarian, try swapping the eggs with flax eggs. You can also pack it with more fiber by replacing the regular all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour.
Coconut Banana Bread
If you want to make banana bread get an extra tropical identity, toss in a couple of tablespoons of grated coconut. Use coconut oil instead of the regular one. You may also spice it up by adding a few ounces of rum to really kick in the chill summer vibes.
These are just among a few of the simple evolutions of banana bread. In fact, there’s a lot! You can top it with your favourite glaze or pour a sweet and savoury sauce. Other popular ingredients added as well are greek yogurt, apricot, apple, pumpkin, and oats. The list goes on for fruits, nuts, and vegetables. You can make it a little more extra and still follow the base recipe of every banana bread.
So if you’re planning for the perfect homemade snack, be sure to add this simple banana bread recipe on the list of considerations. But if you are planning to eat them without the hassle of baking, buy them on Amazon here:
