In my current season of life, I find myself valuing bakes that are quick to get in the oven, don’t create a huge mess in the kitchen, and that my kids really enjoy eating. Those are all key reasons I enjoy making quick breads like banana bread. It’s so easy to whip up and the kids just love having a slice (or two or three) for breakfast or a snack during the day. To them, banana bread is just a step above their normal breakfast routine, so they can’t get enough! I can’t blame them though, this stuff is good. I hope you and your fam will enjoy it too!
First things first, you will need a few ripe or overripe bananas for this treat. Look for bananas that are starting to turn brown and are a little soft to the touch. If you are like me and prefer to eat your bananas on the greener side, you will inevitably end up with a few overripe bananas sitting on the counter that you don’t know what to do with. Banana bread is the perfect solution!
I mentioned this recipe has minimal clean up… you only need two bowls, a few utensils/measuring cups, and a loaf pan. That’s it! Prepare the pan by greasing it and lightly coating with flour to ensure an easy release after the bread bakes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients; this is where we will add the wet ingredients shortly. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with either a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs, brown sugar, and melted butter to the bananas and stir until everything is incorporated. Pour the banana mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
At this point, you can choose to add in extras like pecans or chocolate chips or to leave the batter as is. As you can see, I chose to add some of both! I even opted for dark chocolate instead of semi sweet, and I love how it came out. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Another thing I love about this bread is the fact that it freezes so well. Often times I will make a double recipe and freeze one loaf to pull out in a pinch. Keep that in mind in case you find yourself with an excess of bananas that you need to use up!
The little bit of cinnamon adds the perfect touch of spice and the dark chocolate really dresses this bread up without too much sweetness. It’s perfect for breakfast or a delicious mid-day snack. Enjoy this one!
Anna
Banana Bread
With a hint of cinnamon and optional chocolate chips and/or pecans, this banana bread is easy to whip up, perfect for breakfast or snack time, and sure to please everyone.
Source: thelittlebluemixer.wordpress.com
Course: Breakfast
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 55 min
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Serves:
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1⁄2 cups banana mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1⁄2 cup butter melted
- 1⁄4 cup pecans optional
- 1⁄4 cup dark chocolate chips optional
Directions
- Prep pan by greasing and lightly flouring; preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and form a well in the center.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the eggs, brown sugar, and melted butter and stir until incorporated.
- Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in pecans and/or chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You may need to lightly cover the bread with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent the top from browning too much.
- Let cool in the pan on a wire rack and then enjoy!
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