banana bread

as i was grocery shopping this week, and looking through the store’s winter selection of apples, pears, and citrus, i found myself really missing my favorite summer fruits and berries: nectarines, strawberries, raspberries, and plums. as i was daydreaming about these fabulous fruits that feel months away, i absentmindedly placed a bunch of bananas into my basket. as i unpacked the groceries a little later, it dawned on me that although i miss the summer fruits, and consider the four above to be my all time favorites, bananas might actually qualify as my absolute favorite, albeit the unsung fruit in my life. since bananas are present almost all year round (thanks, global produce market), and something i never leave the store without, why don’t i think of them as my absolute favorite fruit? perhaps it’s because i take them for granted and never yearn for them in off season months. are there any fruits and veggies that you miss over the course of the year, dear readers? do you think that missing them makes them better when you actually get to eat them than they actually taste?

wet ingredients for banana breaddry ingredients for banana bread

these banana thoughts were underscored when i visited my dad for christmas and brought along my ready to eat bunch so they wouldn’t get too ripe sitting at home. i added them to the large pile of bananas already sitting on the counter, which provoked a long conversation about the need to have a banana every day, banana ripeness, flavor, and consistency, as well as the gifts of overripe bananas that friends and horse boarders gift to the ranch’s goats. what synchronicity!

pouring the whirled wet ingredients into the dry ones

so i don’t know about you, but i am extremely picky about bananas. they need to be tinged with green and firm yet not starchy or astringent. once the banana has gone past this semi-under-ripe period, i can’t seem to make myself eat it, regardless of how hard i try. because of my selective ripeness taste buds, i’ve gotten pretty good over the years at gauging the right number of bananas to purchase, as well as the color they should be when i buy them on sunday to make it through the week.

cinnamon!raisins!pouringready to go into the oven

when the bananas don’t make it through the week without getting too ripe, i throw them into a blender and whirl up some banana bread, which i’ve found honestly doesn’t taste good if the bananas aren’t overripe. this banana bread recipe is one i copied from my mom’s recipe box, and it always turns out light, moist, and well done around the edges. i’ve experimented a lot with the ingredients, and found that there are endless variations that taste delicious. my favorite additions and substitutions include walnuts, pecans, cinnamon, ground flax seeds, using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and/or using whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose flour. no matter what your favorite flavor combination – you could include all of the above or none, or create your own variations – if you love bananas, you’ll love this recipe! and if you aren’t picky like me and thus don’t end up with a need to use very ripe bananas, then i suggest you purposely buy a couple more at the store next time and make a point to bake this bread!

fresh out of the oven

banana bread

yields 1 loaf
  • 1½c flour (all purpose or whole wheat pastry work really well)
  • 1½t baking powder
  • 1/2t baking soda
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/3c oil (canola or coconut are the best)
  • 1/2c sugar (i prefer brown)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2t vanilla
  • 1/4c (soy)milk
  • 2-3 bananas
  • 3T ground flax seeds (optional)
  • 1t cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/3c raisins (optional)
  • 1/3c nuts (optional, pecans or walnuts are my favorite)
    ________________________________________
  1. preheat oven to 350º
  2. stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl
  3. place oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, soymilk, and bananas in a blender and whirl
  4. pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients
  5. add optional ingredients as desired and stir until combined
  6. pour batter into greased loaf pan and place into oven
  7. bake bread for one hour, or until toothpick inserted off center comes out clean
  8. allow to cool (to avoid burning your mouth and allow the slices to come out of the pan easier), and serve warm or room temp

ready to enjoy!

8 thoughts on “banana bread”

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