Banana Bread, But Better: Spilled Milk #191

Tired of banana bread that doesn't deliver on big flavor? Try this one.

A SPRINGTIME GIFT FROM AZ

This is a special free, non-paywalled post from Andrew Zimmern’s Spilled Milk. If you like it, consider subscribing: You’ll get my exclusive recipes and travel guides all the time—and you can participate in my weekly "Ask Me Anything" chats!    

Tired of the same old banana bread but love the classic flavors and build? I was too, and that’s why I made this one.

It’s heavier and denser, with a crumb that’s pretty standard on the upper half but denser on the bottom. It’s how I like it. I was tired of tea cake banana breads or finely crumbed versions that didn’t deliver on the big banana flavor and brown-sugar/molasses vibes.

This one suits me just perfectly. And I think the nutmeg and dry ginger works wonders here.

Ingredients

• 5 very ripe bananas, mashed (frozen, defrosted drained bananas are fine—they should yield about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups when mashed)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tablespoons molasses, plus a smidge

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, plus a smidge

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 ripe banana, split lengthwise in thirds

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.

2. Stir in the melted butter, molasses, and brown sugar until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract and yogurt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. Stir until just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Lay the sliced banana across the top of the bread.

   

6. Bake for 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. If your oven runs hot, if the bread is too high in the oven or if the top is browning too quickly for any reason, tent the loaf with aluminum foil.

7. Remove from oven and let it sit in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.