This quick banana bread recipe uses a special technique to bring out all of the sweet juicy goodness from your bananas resulting in a moist, delicious loaf.

I love banana bread but for a long time I didn’t particularly enjoy making it. It used to seem like a tricky beast to get it just right.

I started subscribing to Cook’s Illustrated and am highly impressed with what I had seen. The first piece of mailing that I got was Cook’s All-Time Best Recipes: Foolproof Favorites from 20 Years of Cook’s Illustrated. I love just about everything about it, except that the body of Cook’s Illustrated magazine is in black and white. (I can understand how that is cost-effective, but I love to look at color photos.)

Anyway, there is a recipe for Ultimate Banana Bread (page 68-69.) The article discusses how the riper the banana the more fructose is produced. (Think sugar.) Then there is a piece about banana juice. Cook’s Illustrated instructs the reader to microwave bananas to extract the juice, strain it, and then reduce it.

How I Made Cook’s Illustrated Banana Bread

I like to take shortcuts, so I just microwaved my bananas and poured the juice first into the batter, then added the bananas themselves.

They also place sliced bananas on top (“Shingle Your Loaf”) to add more flavor before baking. I omitted this step.

I was reluctant to bake it for the 55 minutes like they suggest because my oven is an ole cranky gal and I often have problems getting baked items just right. (Okay, sometimes it probably is operator error, but trust me – my oven is about to croak. Sometimes I hear her groan after I have used her and turned her off. I am afraid she is going to fall out on my floor one day.)

The top had a beautiful color and the texture makes me want to ply it off and eat it immediately. It was like eating a”muffin top.”

The hardest part about this bread was waiting for it to cool.

Pin to Pinterest! (Click here to add it to your Pinterest boards.)

Yield: 8

Banana Bread

Name: Banana Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 ripe bananas; 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 stick unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup packed brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; demerara or granulated sugar for dusting

This quick banana bread recipe uses a special technique to bring out all of the sweet juicy goodness from your bananas resulting in a moist, delicious loaf.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
demerara or granulated sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Peel bananas and place in a microwave safe shallow bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Whip butter on high-speed in large bowl of an electric mixer. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla.
Slowly pour banana "juice" into batter in mixer and blend. (Remember that there are eggs in the batter and the juice is still hot/warm. You have to temper the batter.)
Add bananas and mix until incorporated.
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and Sprinkle top with sugar. Bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until done.
Remove to wire rack and allow to cool.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 328mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is an approximation.

When you make it, feel free to add nuts or chocolate chips to the batter before baking. Those would be tasty additions that compliment the bananas.

How do you like your banana bread?

For a different take on banana bread, check out this video from Cosmopolitan Cornbread:

More recipes that will start your day right:

Gregor

Tuesday 17th of February 2015

This was wonderful. It looked like bananna bread, tasted like bananna bread. It was easy too! I did make a few changes: I used White Whole Wheat flour, smart balance instead of butter, 1/3 cup of Agave Nector instead of sugar. Highly recommend it! Thanks, Helen

Lynda

Wednesday 18th of February 2015

Thanks, Helen. You have inspired me to rethink it - I wonder how substituting honey would work and just might try it.

Melissa

Sunday 17th of November 2013

This recipe is [**** - edited for language]. I made it the way it said to, and it came out bland, and tasting like old, overripened bananas. I don't think microwaving the bananas is a good idea; it smelled gross, ruined the flavor, and barely made any juice. Don't waste your time with this abomination. I wish I hadn't.

Monday 18th of November 2013

I am sorry that the recipe did not work for you. My family and I loved it. There are other recipes posted on the internet that call for microwaving bananas before using them. (http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/fruit-sauce/ripen-banana-in-the-microwave.html http://www.ehow.com/info_8682504_procedures-banana-ripening.html)

Dianna @ oyveyaday

Thursday 19th of September 2013

I definitely prefer nut-free!! Bread should not be crunchy. :D

I've never seen a recipe that calls for "banana juice." It is a very interesting technique, and one I will definitely be trying the next time we make banana bread.

Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy.com

Tuesday 10th of September 2013

I love banana bread but I like mine without nuts.

Banana Bread Recipe

How I Made Cook’s Illustrated Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients