Banana bread is one of those classic baked goods that feels like home. It’s simple, comforting, and an incredibly forgiving bread to make. This makes it a great bread for any beginning baker to attempt. There’s really no fancy techniques required, and all you need arejust a handful of pantry staples and a few overripe bananas. While banana bread has been around in some form for centuries, the version we know today became a household favorite in the United States during the Great Depression. With resources scarce, home bakers found creative ways to use every ingredient to its fullest, and overripe bananas, once destined for the trash, became the star of a delicious, no-waste quick bread. From there, banana bread took on a life of its own, evolving into countless variations, from simple and traditional to rich and indulgent.
Growing up, banana breads and zucchini breads were common treats in my family. Excess old bananas and surplus garden zucchinis were turned into bread. The aroma of a fresh baked loaf of either wafting through the house was not atypical at certain times of the year. I definitely ate my full of both as a kid.
But, today, our focus is the banana bread. I really wanted my own recipe for this simple batter-based quick bread. It’s a great fast morning breakfast and a nice snack during the day. My kids really enjoy having a loaf of banana bread on the counter to swipe a slice from. So, with a little trial and error, I developed a moist, tasty banana bread recipe.
My take on banana bread starts with a fairly traditional base, and it gets some enhancement from brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and Greek yogurt to create a loaf that’s extra moist, flavorful, and just the right amount of sweet. Whether you’re enjoying it fresh out of the oven, toasted with a bit of butter, or as a quick grab-and-go breakfast, this recipe is one you’ll want to come back to again and again.
Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup Greek yogurt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and then grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray.
Ensure your bananas are mashed and your butter is melted before starting. You can chop the bananas into pieces and mash with a potato masher. The butter can be melted in a microwave.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until it forms a smooth paste-like batter. Once it is smooth, add the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is fully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until it is all well blended.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined, forming a bread batter. Finally, stir in Greek yogurt until it is completely incorporated into the bread batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake it in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes. Test the bread for doneness with a toothpick or chopsticks. Insert a toothpick (or chopstick) into the center of the loaf. It should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but not wet batter. If it comes out completely clean, the bread may be slightly overbaked, and if it comes out with streaks of batter, it needs more time.
Once the bread is fully baked, remove it from the oven. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the bread has completely cooled, slice it up, and it is ready to serve. Enjoy your banana bread!