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{VIDEO} THE BEST Banana Bread

Perfectly moist, tender banana bread, packed with banana flavor, caramely brown butter and warm cinnamon.


CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE


I've tried a bunch of different banana bread recipes over the years, until I finally found THE ONE. I wanted something not too dense and heavy, but not too fluffy like a cake. Perfectly moist and tender, without being soggy or crumbling when you try and slice it into nice thick pieces. And most importantly, packed with flavor! I wanted to be able to taste caramely notes of ripe banana, warm cinnamon spice and buttery perfection in each bite.





I use this as a base for some of my favorite breads, like my:

Glazed Blueberry Banana Bread


Apple Streusel Banana Bread


Healthy Fruits and Veggies Bread


Frosted Cinnamon Honey Banana Bread


The recipe is so versatile, you can add any kind of additions you want, like chopped nuts, fruits, glazes, icings, espresso powder, streusels or peanut butter.


Or make it plain, for the best banana bread ever.




The few ingredients that really take this recipe from a classic, to THE BEST ever, is the added sour cream to make it extra moist and tender, super ripe bananas, and the extra step of browning the butter to add a toffee-like, nutty flavor that adds a whole new dimension to the bread.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE BROWN BUTTER



When your recipe calls for mashed banana, the riper the better! The ripeness of your bananas will determine how naturally sweet your bread turns out, so make sure your bananas are extra ripe, and I mean R-I-P-E! Think, covered in brown spots, too ripe to eat, about to throw it away, ripe. That means the banana is at the peak of sweetness, the riper the better! This will ensure the banana is ultra sweet, soft, and packed with a more intense banana flavor, than a regular yellow banana, making them perfect for your bread.


The batter comes together in one bowl and comes out nice and thick and speckled with fresh ripe banana.



It takes a while to bake, about 60-90 minutes, because it is so moist, thick and packed with ripe fruit. But once you start smelling that warm bread baking in the oven, you know it is almost ready, and that golden brown loaf will totally be worth the wait!


Slice it up and enjoy. Or freeze the loaf for another time. Even bake it up in mini loaf pans to give away as gift or to enjoy one now and freeze the other for another time.



The Best Banana Bread

Yield: 9x5-inch loaf

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz.) butter, melted (browned for maximum flavor); may use oil if needed
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium/large overly ripe bananas)
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cup (210g) all-purpose flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips, optional

Directions
Ripen bananas at 300° F for 20-40 minutes, if not overly ripe (see instructions here). 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9x5 loaf pan (or 2 mini 5" loaf pans) with parchment paper or foil and spray with non-stick spray.

With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating about 20 seconds after each addition. Add banana, sour cream and vanilla, and beat for about 30 seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture, about 20 seconds. Beat in remaining flour mixture, until just incorporated. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if desired. 

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 60-90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (30 for mini 5-inch pans). Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature, in an air tight container, up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.



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