Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

Our favorite Banana Bread Recipe

I know this past week has been all about my 17 Day Diet and all of these low-carb, low-fat recipes. Don't worry this post has nothing to do with my diet! In case you've wondered, I'm not just making all healthy diet-y types of food on this 17 Day Challenge. I'm still making things like Rice Krispy Treats, Artisan Bread and the recipe I have for you today, Our Favorite Banana Bread; Sadly I just can't eat them! Just because I'm on this diet doesn't mean Dave and the boys have to be on it too. Don't get me wrong, they actually love the recipes I've been making and have even taken on some healthy habits from it, but they can still eat carbalicious foods that I can't. So the foodie mom and wife that I am, I've continued to make desserts, rice and pasta for them. Trust me, it hasn't been easy cooking foods that I can't eat and it's been even harder watching them indulge in the foods I can't eat. Heck, blogging about it isn't an easier either! So onto making Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe….which I can't eat!

Bananas are one of the boys' favorite fruits so when I buy them I always make sure to buy extra. And I always save some on the side to make banana bread. This is a recipe posting to my blog because I've been making this recipe for the past 20 years. I actually have it memorized. The boys think it's the best banana bread ever, so I want to document it for them so the'll always have it. There are so many different banana bread recipes out there... The one I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. I doubt I'll ever veer from this one because it's that good. It's incredibly moist, flavorful, and just has this good old fashioned taste. When I know I'm going to make banana bread I always allow the bananas to sit on the counter to over ripen. In our household we call over ripened bananas "rotten." The boys know if they see rotten bananas in the fruit basket, mom's make'n banana bread! In fact, I only make banana bread if my bananas are overly ripe because the riper they are the sweeter they are. And the sweeter they are the more flavorful the banana bread is. 

What I like most about this recipe is its simplistic ingredients.  You will most likely have every ingredient you see below on hand already. So as long as you have bananas you can make this amazing homemade banana bread. And because it has simple ingredients, adding other fun ingredients like chocolate chips won't alter the overall recipe, like some would. I like adding chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or even M n M's. The boys love it when I add the extras, but I like it best plain. It's a great morning treat with coffee or tea and it's also just as good as a snack or an after dinner dessert. 

So if you are looking for a good old fashioned banana bread recipe look no further. You and your family will love this recipe. I'm sure you'll find yourself turning to this recipe often. I bet it will even make its way to being your favorite banana bread recipe like it is ours. 

Salute to Our Favorite Banana Bread Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Moist and delicious

Eat it for breakfast, as a snack or for dessert

So easy to make

Here is the BH & G recipe

Nate's food hack: wrap banana stems in saran wrap so they keep longer

Tyler and Zachary are so excited I made banana bread!

Banana Bread: (click to print recipe)

Taken from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Preparation and cook time: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 3 mashed bananas
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 t shredded lemon peel (optional, I don't use)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or raisons (optional)

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 8x4x2 inch loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In another bowl combine egg, bananas, sugar, oil and lemon peel if desired. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Stir until moistened, batter should be lumpy. Fold in nuts if desired. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool on rack.