Baking and desserts
Banana Bread
Banana bread exists for those blackened bananas nobody wants to eat anymore. They are exactly what gives it sweetness, moisture and a deep caramel aroma. Everything is stirred together in one bowl with a spoon, no mixer, and the oven does the rest. Baking soda reacts with the acidity of the bananas, lifting the loaf and splitting the top like a proper loaf cake. Inside it is dense but tender and stays moist for days. Slice it for breakfast with coffee or pack a piece as a snack.
Method
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Heat the oven to 175°C and line a loaf tin of about 21 x 11 cm with baking paper.
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Mash the bananas with a fork in a large bowl. A few small lumps are fine.
Stir in the melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla sugar until combined.
Stir in the baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Add the flour and fold just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and a little lumpy, which is right.
Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, spoon into the tin and scatter the rest on top.
Bake for 55-65 minutes until a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top darkens, cover with foil after 35-40 minutes.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes.
Tips for success
- Overmixing after the flour goes in makes the loaf rubbery with tunnels inside.
- Yellow bananas without spots lack sweetness. Ripen them in their skins in the oven at 150°C for 15 minutes.
- Ovens vary, so start checking at 50 minutes.
- Do not slice it hot: the crumb is still setting and can seem underbaked.
Serving and storage
Serve in slices at room temperature, or toasted in a pan with butter. Lovely with coffee, honey, cream cheese or peanut butter.
Wrapped, it keeps at room temperature for 3 days or a week in the fridge. Slices freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
- Chocolate: use 80 g chopped dark chocolate instead of walnuts.
- Less sweet: reduce the sugar to 70 g if the bananas are very ripe.
- Oaty: swap 50 g of flour for rolled oats and sprinkle more on top.
Calories and macros
Per serving (about 87 g):
Per 100 g: 291 kcal, P 4.6, F 13, C 40.2. An estimate based on average ingredient values. Your daily calories ›
