This Classic Banana Bread is super moist and tasty. Best of all, it’s really easy to make and, apart from the bananas, takes only standard pantry ingredients. It’s the perfect way to use up extra ripe bananas since Banana Bread is best made with overripe bananas. They have so much flavor and add the extra moisture for which banana bread is known.
There are two methods that can be used for making quick breads and this Banana Bread uses the creamed method. You can read about this method in a previous post I published with a Cherry Loaf recipe. Click here to access that posting. One of the keys to a fine tender texture in this bread is to ensure the bananas are mashed really well with a fork. There should not be any really large chunks of banana in this bread.
Sometimes called sweet breads, quick breads, or tea breads, these loaves freeze well so are handy to have on hand. The bread may be frozen either whole or sliced. Serve the bread plain or spread with butter.
While the completely cooled bread may be sliced and served on the day it is baked, I recommend that it be left overnight to allow the flavor to develop. Simply place the loaf in an airtight bag, keep it in the refrigerator overnight, and slice it the following day.
Classic Banana Bread
Ingredients:
½ cup + 1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp pure vanilla
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sour milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9”x5”x3” loaf pan.
Sour milk by placing ¾ tsp vinegar in measuring cup and topping it with milk to equal ¼ cup. Let stand 5 minutes before using in recipe.
Sift, or sieve, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into bowl and set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream the butter at medium speed. Reduce speed slightly and gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat until mixture is pale-colored and has an airy/fluffy texture. Stop mixer, as necessary, to scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and using a spatula, as necessary, to scrape sides of bowl.
Beat in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (three additions of dry ingredients with two additions of wet ingredients). Periodically stop mixer to scrape sides of bowl with spatula to ensure all ingredients are combined. Do not overmix.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and, using a knife, smooth the top of the loaf. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let loaf rest in pan for 10 minutes after removing from oven then turn loaf out on to wire rack to cool completely before cutting.
Yield: One loaf, apx. 12-14 slices (sliced approximately ½” thick)
If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.
For other quick bread recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the following links:
Glazed Lemon Pecan Sweet Bread
Cinnamon Sweet Bread
Cherry Loaf
Orange, Date, and Spice Loaf
Cranberry Orange Eggnog Loaf
Blueberry Quick Bread
Strawberry Rhubarb Quick Bread
Green Tomato Quick Bread
Irish Soda Bread
Classic Banana Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup sour milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9”x5”x3” loaf pan.
- Sour milk by placing ¾ tsp vinegar in measuring cup and topping it with milk to equal ¼ cup. Let stand 5 minutes before using in recipe.
- Sift, or sieve, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into bowl and set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream the butter at medium speed. Reduce speed slightly and gradually add the granulated sugar. Beat until mixture is pale-colored and has an airy/fluffy texture. Stop mixer, as necessary, to scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula to ensure the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and using a spatula, as necessary, to scrape sides of bowl.
- Beat in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (three additions of dry ingredients with two additions of wet ingredients). Periodically stop mixer to scrape sides of bowl with spatula to ensure all ingredients are combined. Do not overmix.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and, using a knife, smooth the top of the loaf. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Let loaf rest in pan for 10 minutes after removing from oven then turn loaf out on to wire rack to cool completely before cutting.
Recipe Notes
Yield: One loaf, apx. 12-14 slices (sliced approximately ½” thick)
Note: Bread is best made the day before it is needed. Let cool completely on wire rack then place in airtight plastic bag and store in refrigerator overnight. Loaf freezes well either wholly or in slices.
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