This is the banana bread you have been waiting for. This is the banana bread that will change your life. This is one of my favorite recipes in the history of everything I have ever baked. The recipe print-out I have in my folder of recipes is the same physical piece of paper that I printed out in 2013, the first time I ever made this recipe. I cannot recommend enough that you drop everything and make banana bread this weekend :-)
Original recipe courtesy of Food Network, with tips and adaptations by Alison
Ingredients:
1¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 extra-large eggs (large size works fine if that’s your only option, but extra-large size makes for a more pleasant and less dense loaf)
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 stick of butter, softened, my preferred type is Whole Foods lactose-free variety
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas
Optional: If you do not have a nut allergy: ½ cup either walnuts or pecans, plus a handful more to sprinkle over the top of the loaf.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure the butter is softened and the eggs are coming to room temperature. Use your non-stick spray to grease a loaf pan – I prefer the Trader Joe’s butter flavored spray because it’s soy-free and actually reminiscent of butter-flavored.
Mash the bananas using a potato masher or a fork. Set aside.
Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a large liquid-measuring cup (or a small bowl). Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture while the mixer is on medium-low speed, continuing to run the mixer until the eggs are just incorporated. Add the bananas and mix to incorporate – the mixture will appear curdled, but don’t worry! After mixing in the bananas, remove the bowl from the mixer.
With a large spatula, fold the flour mixture gently into the butter mixture until just incorporated.
Fold in the nuts, optional.
Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan. (Sprinkle more nuts on top.)
Bake for exactly an hour, but check after 55 minutes in case your oven is hotter than the oven at my house.
Cool the bread inside the loaf pan for approx 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan and let cool completely on a fancy cooling rack (according to the original recipe) or on a cutting board (what I actually use). Bon appétit!