Banana Bread

banana bread image A friend came home from work one day with the best banana bread in the world. No kidding. This banana bread was so good it tasted like cake. It is made in a 9 ½ X 11 cake pan, so you could actually serve it as cake if you wanted to.

It's a delicious extremely moist banana bread recipe that you will want to make again and again. This banana bread almost melts in your mouth if that were possible with bread and makes you say, "More!".

Simple To Make

And easy? Little kids can stir this banana bread together. My 9 and 10 year old sons were put to this task all the time. Partly to keep them busy after school until I got home and of course we had the bananas no one was eating so why not turn them into a delicious treat?

The nice thing about banana bread is that it is a quick bread. Meaning it doesn't require yeast and doesn't need the time to rise like a yeast bread would. You can whip it up in no time and with just one bowl and one pan and just stir it together by hand.

What To Do With All Those Ripe Bananas

And who doesn't have bananas that get too ripe before you can eat them all? Banana bread is just the way to go so you don't waste that healthy fruit.

Here's what we do when there are only one or two over-ripe bananas. Peel them and put them in a freezer bag and freeze them. When you have 6 bananas saved, you can make this recipe. Just mash and stir into your banana bread.

Walnuts are optional when you bake this banana bread recipe but they do give it a wonderful texture and flavor. Give them a try with and without nuts and see if you don't agree that the flavor they add is wonderful.

This banana bread is great cut into big squares and served with a tall glass of milk for an after-school treat or anytime for that matter! It's equally good cold or warm just out of the oven because it is so moist and full of flavor. Mmmm. There is nothing like the aroma of fresh baked banana bread. You can hardly wait for it to cool enough to enjoy a piece.

A Real Treat

Here is a firmer traditional banana bread recipe to "Mom's Banana Bread" below. This is made in bread loaf pans. It's the one my mother always used. She taught us to slice it thin and spread it with cream cheese. Oh, that was good!

We know, we know. More calories. At our house, we feel that if you are going to eat dessert, you should go for it. Otherwise, stick to salads. Just don't try to de-fat my dessert! That's what dessert is. A treat. You don't eat it all the time, so enjoy the real thing when you do have it.

We hope you will enjoy these special banana bread recipes as much as we do.

Mom's Banana Bread

Beat until smooth in a medium mixing bowl:

  • ½ c. shortening

  • 1 c. sugar

  • Add and stir well:

  • ½ t. salt

  • 1 t. baking soda

  • 2 eggs, well beaten

  • 1 c. mashed bananas

  • ½ c. sour cream

  • Stir in:

  • 2 c. flour

  • Bake in one greased loaf pan for 45 minutes to an hour.

Mom usually doubled the recipe and baked it in 3 loaf pans.

Denise Lorraine's Banana Bread

  • 1 3/4 C. sugar

  • 3/4 C. br. sugar Combine in large bowl

  • 1 1/2 C. butter, softened

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 C. milk Stir into above. Mix well.

  • 6 ripe bananas, mashed

  • 2 t. baking powder

  • 1 t. baking soda Combine. Stir into above.

  • 3 C. flour + 3 T. in Denver

  • 1 C. coarsely chopped walnuts Stir in last.

  • Spray 11X13 baking pan with no-stick cooking spray or grease w/ shortening.

  • Pour in batter. Bake 1 hour @ 350 %.