Banana Spice bread…yummy!

Today I went into my pantry and noticed my bananas…my mushy overly-ripe bananas! Perfect for banana bread! So I dug into my recipe drawer and pulled out my banana bread recipe. I get recipes from all over…the internet, friends and family, cookbooks, magazines…where ever. Then I tinker with the recipe, sometimes combining two recipes into one, until I get it just right! This recipe originated from my sister, Kelly, and I have added my alterations to make the banana bread that I like. It’s a very moist bread with a firmer crust, not too sweet, and a little bit of spice! Oh, and no nuts! (However, if you prefer nuts, knock your self out!)

Ingredients: 

My 3 bananas ended up being 2C. Better to have too much than too little! 🙂

2 1/2 C. flour
1/3 C. sugar
3/4 C. brown sugar (tip: if you store your brown sugar in the freezer it won’t dry out and get hard :] )
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 T. oil (I use canola, but vegetable oil works just as good)
1/3 C. milk
1 egg
1 1/2 C. mashed bananas (Usually 3-4)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. chopped walnuts (optional)
Cinnamon-sugar mixture to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat your over to 350 deg. and grease your bread pan (I just spray with cooking spray). You can use one 9 in. loaf pan, or two 8 in. loaf pans (you could also make this into muffins with a muffin pan, though I haven’t tested that yet.) In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, followed by the wet ingredients. Mix well. If you are using nuts, you can fold them in after you are done mixing.

Dry Ingredients

After the wet ingredients. If you wish, this is where you would fold in your nuts.

Pour batter into your loaf pan(s) and sprinkle the top with your cinnamon-sugar mixture. I have a mixture that I keep around all the time. It’s about one part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar. Just adjust it until you find the taste you prefer. I like more cinnamon…some people like more sugar. 

With cinnamon-sugar on top!

Baking times will vary depending on your altitude and humidity. For a 9 in. pan, it will be 65-70 minutes. For two 8 in. pans, it will be 55-60 minutes. Just start off on the lower end and do the toothpick test (where you insert a toothpick into the deepest portion and pull out to see how much sticks). If there is still batter, you need to cook longer. However, keep in mind that this is a moist bread so your toothpick will not come back completely clean until it is over done. I cooked my 9 in. loaf for 65 minutes and it was perfect…only very little crumbs on the toothpick. This bread will also set and firm more as it cools. 

My toothpick test after 65 minutes. Perfect!

Let the bread cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before removing it from the pan. This will prevent it from sticking to the pan and help it come out in one piece. Let it cool an additional 10 minutes on a cooling rack before cutting into it. This bread will keep, covered at room temp, for about a week. If you want to freeze it, wait for it to cool completely before covering it, then put it in the freezer in an airtight freezer bag. Defrost at room temperature over night. Enjoy!! 🙂