Banana Bread
9th Sept 2023
Timings
Prep Time - 15 minutes
Baking Time - approx. 55 minutes
Cooling time - 15 minutes
Total Time - Approx. 1hr 25 minutes
Serves - 1 loaf (8-10 slices)
* Timings are approximate
Get ready to fall in love with baking all over again with this amazing banana bread recipe. This is a delicious and undeniably the best banana bread recipe you’ll come to make! It’s melt-in-your-mouth moist and jam-packed with so many flavours and crunch - topped with a crunchy streusel topping and glace icing! As someone who’s not a big fan of banana-flavoured things, this is surprisingly but also unsurprisingly the best thing I’ve ever baked and tried!
Tips For The Perfect Banana Bread
Overripe Bananas - Overripe bananas are much sweeter and when used in this recipe you get a stronger banana flavour.
Mash Your Bananas Well - Mashing the bananas thoroughly creates a smooth, lump-free mix. This ensures an even distribution of banana flavour throughout the bread. This is why I like to use an electric hand mixer as apposed to a fork.
Sugar - This recipe uses a combination of white and brown sugar. Brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel flavor, making the banana bread taste richer and more complex.
Avoid Overmixing - Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Over-mixing can result in a dense and tough bread.
Vegetable Oil and Butter - I like to use both vegetable oil to achieve the perfect balance between moisture and flavour in my banana bread. Whilst the vegetable oil contributes moisture to the batter (adding moisture helps keep the bread soft and moist, preventing them from drying out during baking), the butter adds and enhances a richer flavour.
Extras - This recipe uses milk and white chocolate chunks and chips, almond flakes and chopped walnuts, pecans & hazelnuts. This is to add crunch and bring in extra flavour. The chocolate chips melts in your mouth whilst the chunks and nuts add a bite to your banana bread. The glaze icing is also the perfect pairing for this recipe as it bring the entire banana bread together and adds to the softness and gooeyness.
Notes
Bananas - Using riper bananas will give you a stronger banana taste. I use between ripe and very ripe bananas but you can use overly ripe ones if you’d prefer.
Vegetable Oil - This helps to add moisture and contributes to a smoother and more even texture. However, if butter is all you have on hand then you can swap out the vegetable oil and instead use a total of 1/2 cups of any melted butter.
Melted Butter - This has a rich, nutty flavour that enhances the taste of your banana bread. However, you can replace the butter with another 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (totalling to 1/2 cup vegetable oil).
Light Brown Sugar - If you have no brown sugar on hand you can replace it with white sugar - totalling 3/4 cups of white sugar.
Baking Soda - Also known as Bicarbonate of Soda in the UK.
Chocolate Chunks / Chips - Chocolate chunks melt less which gives it a bite whilst chocolate chips melt all the way, creating a gooey inside. I prefer to use both milk and white chocolate chunks and chips but you can also use dark chocolate or no chocolate at all.
Nuts - This is optional but I would recommend adding these in for a bite that is both crunchy and soft!
Milk - I use whole milk but any milk will work perfectly fine!
Cream cheese - I opt to use full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese which adds a richer taste but any cream cheese can be used.
Equipment
Ingredients
Read Notes Above Beforehand
Streusel Topping
Glace Icing
Banana Bread
Extras but worth adding in!
Instructions
Scroll Up To Read Notes and Tips For The Perfect Banana Bread Beforehand
Streusel Topping
In a bowl combine 2 Tbsp (20g) plain flour, 1 Tbsp (15g) white sugar, 1 Tbsp (12g) light brown sugar, 1 Tbsp (12g) cold butter and a pinch of cinnamon together - use a pastry blender or fork and mix everything together to form a crumbly consistency then set aside.
Glace Icing
(Make whilst your banana bread bakes)
Whisk together 1 Tbsp (12g) cream cheese, 1/4 Cup (65ml/g) warm milk and 1/4 Tsp (1g) vanilla extract.
Gradually add and whisk in 2/3 Cups (100g) icing sugar till it turns into a slightly runny but slightly thick consistency.
You can choose to add in more or less icing sugar if you prefer either a thicker or runnier consistency
Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas mark 5).
Grease a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with butter.
In a bowl, sift together the 2 Cups (290g) plain flour, 1/4 Tsp (2g) salt and 1/4 Tsp (1g) baking soda. Mix well then set aside.
Peel the 3 medium sized bananas and place them into a large bowl. Using an electric hand mixer or fork mash the bananas till there are little to no chunks.
Add 2 large eggs in with the mashed bananas and whisk till well incorporated, then add your 1/4 Cup (55g) vegetable oil, 1/4 Cup (55g) melted butter, 2/4 Cups (110g) white sugar, 1/4 Cup (45g) light brown sugar and 2 Tsp (6g) vanilla extract and whisk till everything is well combined.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients together - use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients till there is no trace of flour left.
Add in your 1/4 Cup (30g) almond flakes, 2/4 Cups (100g) milk and white chocolate chunks/chips, and achopped walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts and mix until combined.
Transfer the mixture to your greased loaf pan and evenly top with your streusel topping.
Place into your preheated oven for 50-60 minutes (this will vary depending on your oven so I would suggest you do a toothpick test every 2-5 minutes after the 45-minute mark) - insert a toothpick into the banana bread, if it comes out clean your banana bread is done!
Take the banana bread out of your oven and let it cool in the pan for a few minutes,
Remove from your pan and using a small paring knife or butter knife poke holes into your banana bread a few times throughout.
Use a spoon to pour in the glace icing mixture.
Wait for your banana bread to cool before using a bread knife to cut your slices and you’re ready to serve!
Savour it piping hot with a light smear of salted butter, or enjoy it just as much when served chilled straight from the fridge!