As a cook I have two annoying traits. First, I am a rather lazy cook. I don't like recipes that require too many steps or ingredients. Secondly, I am a perfectionist so I steer clear of recipes that will get my apron in a twist. That's why I always rely on this beautiful banana bread recipe that ticks all the boxes- easy, simple ingredients, never fail and absolutely delicious.
Best ever banana bread
This is my perfect morning tea or lunchbox treat. You can quickly bake up a huge batch and stock the freezer so you always have healthy, yummy treats on hand.
Ingredients
3-4 very ripe bananas (best when skin has gone black or showing spots)
1/3 cup melted butter
1 large egg
cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose wholemeal flour
cup Nuts/seeds/sultanas/cranberries/chocolate chips (Optional-select one item to add)
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350F).
Step 1- Mash It
These ripe bananas still have a lot of love to give!
Mash the bananas in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or fork.
Step 2- Mix It
Using your wooden spoon mix the melted butter into the bananas.
Butter, ready for melting
Gently beat the egg, then add the egg, sugar and vanilla essence to the bananas. Mix well.
Mix it!
Combine the baking soda, salt and flour. Sprinkle over the top of the bananas and GENTLY mix until combined. You don't want to overwork the batter or else your bread will be too heavy and dense.
I've added yummy chia seeds to my bread (optional)
Note: If you want to add any nuts, seeds, sultanas, dried cranberries or chocolate chips it is generally best to add these to the bananas prior to adding the flour. This will make it easier to combine the mixture without overworking the batter. Be careful not to overload your batter with too many extras.
Step 3- Bake It
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with baking paper. If you don't have any baking paper on hand, grease the pan well first.
You can add some additional nuts or seeds or a light sprinkling of sugar to the top of the loaf now to form a lovely crust on top of the bread. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until golden brown and firm in the centre.
Banana bread with sunflower seed and pepita crust (optional)
Let the bread cook on a rack. Remove from the pan and gently slice to serve. My preference is to serve warm with a bit of butter. Once cooled you can freeze any remaining bread for later or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Variations
Because I do rely on this recipe so much, I like to mix it up a bit by adding dried fruit or nuts. Small chocolate chips are also a nice addition but I reduce the added sugar slightly to compensate for the additional sweetness.
I have made this recipe using gluten free flour but have found better success as muffins rather than a bread loaf. If you do not like a "big" loaf, you can usually get 1 bread loaf and 12 mini muffins from this recipe.
