Banana Bread

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Published August 12, 2023  ·  ⭐ 5.0 (14 reviews)

Prep	Cook	Total	Yield
15 min	55 min	1 hr 15 min	1 loaf

Difficulty: Easy

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Ingredients

Batter

• 3 very ripe bananas (about 300 g peeled weight), plus 1 extra for topping
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80 ml buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 200 g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine sea salt

Optional Mix-ins

• 80 g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
• 80 g dark chocolate chips

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Steps Overview

1. Mash bananas
2. Mix wet ingredients, then fold in dry
3. Pour into tin, top with banana and sugar
4. Bake low and slow until deep caramel crust forms

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Step-by-Step

1. Mash and mix wet

Preheat oven to 170 °C (fan 150 °C). Butter and line a 900 g loaf tin. In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth with a few lumps. Stir in brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk until combined.

2. Add dry ingredients

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, and salt over the wet mixture. Fold gently until just combined — small lumps are fine. Fold in any optional mix-ins.

3. Top and bake

Pour into the prepared tin. Split the extra banana lengthways and press onto the top. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of brown sugar for a caramelised crust. Bake for 55–65 minutes until a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too fast, tent with foil after 40 minutes.

4. Cool

Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then unmould and cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes. The loaf slices much better once fully cooled.

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Notes

• The blacker and more liquid the bananas, the better. Freeze and thaw overripe bananas to intensify their sweetness.
• Do not overmix once the flour goes in — a few lumps are desirable.
• Banana bread improves on day 2 as the crust softens and the crumb becomes more tender.
• Freeze slices individually wrapped for up to 3 months.