Bananas never go bad – they just get ready to turn into bread. Growing up, we never threw out our bananas for this reason. At the end of the week, if we had leftover bananas that were overripened, we would make a banana bread that would start off the next week off on the right foot. Bananas are special in this regard, a lot of other foods will simply spoil, while bananas turn soft and sweet, perfect for this recipe.



This is a staple recipe, so there are a lot of banana bread recipes out there. I’m going to share a couple of twists that I really enjoy in this recipe and share a few tips that helped turned this recipe into one of my favorites. This recipe is a twist on a recipe from The Kitchn.1 Ironically, one of the things first I loved about this recipe is the same thing that I am most unsure about now: creaming the butter.



Creaming the Butter:
Creaming butter is the process of heavily beating butter to incorporate air into the structure. Adding sugar continuing to beat the mixture further stabilizes these air-pocket structures. From making a lot of cakes, I know creaming the butter is essential to create a consistently fluffy product. In this case I’m not sure anymore. Perhaps this is because this is a banana bread, not a banana cake. But breads should be fluffy too, no? Maybe, but in this case I really like a banana bread that can hold its weight. Quick breads like this one, when light and fluffy, can struggle to hold their shape when you’re eating it. So, although I think the result is slightly denser, with a little bit more chew, I’m going to recommend not to cream your butter and not to overmix this dough. Really just mix enough to combine and you should be good to go. I’ve done this both ways, multiple times and this creates the most consistent version that I enjoy the most.



Cinnamon and Brown Sugar:
Next, I have a couple of ingredient alterations: cinnamon and brown sugar. These are flavors I love when they interplay with the bananas. A great example of this is a dish like Bananas Foster, where brown sugar and cinnamon are key ingredients that mingle with the banana flavor. I try to keep these flavors balanced by using a 1:1 ratio of brown sugar : granulated sugar, but I am pretty sure 100% brown sugar would turn out great too. For the cinnamon, I’ve found just one teaspoon is enough to elevate all the flavors without overpowering any of them.



Making Banana Bread Muffins:
Banana bread muffins can be made much faster than banana bread (~15 minutes compared to ~55 minutes). They are also come out of the oven as their own serving, saving another step in cutting the banana bread. However, they have a few disadvantages too. The short bake time reduces the amount of browning and caramelization that can occur over the 50+ minutes when making the bread. They will also dry out much faster than a banana bread loaf. The banana bread loaf is more likely to trap in the moisture simply due to its size.



So, there are pros and cons to banana bread vs. banana bread muffins: fast and convenient vs. taste and moisture content. Usually, if I’m making banana bread to eat right away, I’ll make muffins, as the entire process can be completed in 30 minutes. If I’m making banana bread to use up overripe bananas and to have frozen slices ready to go in the future, I’ll go with the loaf for the extra flavor boost.



Storing Banana Bread:
Depending on how fast you plan to eat your banana bread you’ll want to consider a few different options for storing your banana bread: room temperature, refrigerated or frozen. Obviously, this will taste freshest if you can eat it within 1-3 days at room temperature. If serving at room temperature, I would recommend keeping the loaf in-tact and slicing to serve as needed. This will ensure the freshest possible slices.



With that said, an entire loaf of banana bread is a lot of food, so you will likely want to consider refrigerating it for about a week or freezing for up to two months.  For refrigerated and frozen banana bread, I recommend slicing it and wrapping it air-tight (in plastic wrap or foil) or storing it in sandwich bags. I like to split it up: saving some at room temperature for the next few days after making it and freezing the rest. If your slices are refrigerated, you can warm the slices up for a few minutes in a toaster or simply enjoy it chilled. For frozen slices, I would recommend defrosting the slices in the refrigerator a day in advance, and then following the same procedure. You can also put a frozen slice in the microwave for 30-45 seconds on high, but this tends to heat up too unevenly to serve immediately. These uneven temperatures can be avoided if toasted for a few minutes afterwards.



In other words, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. Whether you serve it hot and fresh, cooled down in the fridge, or toasted: all unique and equally satisfying options. I love having this banana bread as a breakfast by itself, sometimes with a side of eggs, and sometimes as a dessert. Although this started only as a way to use up leftover bananas, I will now get bananas just to make this banana bread: I just love having the slices frozen and ready to go at any time.



Recipe:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½  cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 medium bananas, very ripe
2 cups all-purpose flour (or flour of your choice)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a loaf pan with a nonstick spray, oil, or butter.
In a large bowl, mix softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mix to combine.
On a separate plate or bowl, mash the bananas to your desired consistency.
Add bananas to the butter, sugar, and egg mixture.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter, sugar, egg mixture. Stir to combine.
Add the milk, stir to combine.
Add the other half of the flour mixture, stirring to combine.
Add the mixture to the loaf pan, and bake at 350 F for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Remove from the loaf pan and allow to cool on a plate, cutting board or cooling rack for another 5-10 minutes.
Cut into slices and enjoy!
References:
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-the-simplest-easiest-recipe-139900