Banana bread is a quick bread made with ripe bananas, flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and baking soda. It is often flavored with nuts or chocolate chips.
What is Banana Bread?
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Banana bread is a delicious sweet-bread that is enjoyed for breakfast in the United States. It is, in fact, the most searched for bread recipe on the web. The bread is so popular in the states that it has earned February 23 as its own national day.
Banana bread dates back to the 18th Century and the invention of pearlash, which add carbon dioxide to the dough and work as a leavening agent. The bread gained fame by the 1930s when cookbooks began to feature the bread as a favorite recipe.
Modern banana bread is typically leavened using baking powder or baking soda to make a moist, sweet treat. The use of a leavening agent makes banana bread a quick-bread recipe that requires no proofing and takes only about an hour to make and bake.
The History of Banana Bread
Are you surprised to find out that banana bread is the most searched for bread recipe on the internet? Or, maybe not? Banana bread happens to be very delicious, and a cinch to make, but by all considerations, the recipe isn’t very old.
Despite banana bread being as American as apple pie, the bread was not prevalent until the late 20th century when trade routes to Africa were booming thanks to faster ships.
The banana was not popular or easily available in the U.S. until the advent of the 1900s, and those that were available quickly soured without refrigeration or preservation options. However, as they became more available, their possibilities began to grow.
Originally, bananas were a breakfast food all on their own or used as garnishes and ingredients for desserts. It was not until the Great Depression came around that the banana bread saw its chance to shine.
The Great Depression marked a time when every shred of food was invaluable. Rotten bananas became gold. When baking powder and baking soda became readily available and mass-produced, there suddenly became a method to make fluffy bread out of bananas!
The new ingredients offered an avenue for home bakers to make quick-breads without yeast, of which banana bread remains the star today. The original banana bread used the ingredient heavily as a garnish, but by the time 1930 rolled around, bananas were the main ingredient.
Today’s banana bread features many variations, but the banana bread that took the U.S. by storm in the 1930s is not what we eat today. The Gros Michel banana originally brought to the U.S. died out in the 1950s, resulting in the Cavendish banana replacing the old types.
Today’s banana bread tastes different than the bread of the 1930s but remains just as popular.
Ingredients in Banana Bread
Banana bread recipes contain many different ingredients depending on the region, but the following ingredients are the most common:
- Bananas
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Walnuts
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
Banana Bread Nutritional Information
You might want to think of banana bread as, well, cake. A single slice of banana bread typically contains 19 grams of sugar, an average of 60 grams of carbs, and 30 grams of fat. Comparatively, a slice of angel food cake contains 29 grams of carbs and 15 grams of sugar.
But, banana bread can serve as a good source of carbs and does contain fruit, so perhaps it is a better option than straight chocolate cake. Just bear in mind that it is not nearly as healthy as a typical yeasted bread like whole wheat or rye.
How to Make Banana Bread
A beginning baker can easily make banana bread. You just need a whisk, a fork, and not mind a little mess.
Most recipes require mashed bananas aged to have dark brown skin. You can speed the ageing process up by sticking the bananas in the fridge or freezer for a day. After you have aged your bananas, all you need is a fork to mash up the delicious fruit
After that, it’s as simple as mixing up the dry and wet ingredients and dropping the mix into a bread pan. The key to a banana bread’s moist, fluffy texture is the baking soda and/or baking powder in the mix. The bread will rise faster than a yeasted dough and remain soft and sweet.
Banana Bread Recipes
The sky is the limit with banana bread. As long as you keep the banana in the recipe, you can add just about any ingredient as a fun twist to your bread. Any basic banana bread is adaptable to unique tastes.
A favorite take on banana bread is the old “everything chocolate” edition. Chocolate sauce and chocolate chips are frequently added to the recipe for an even sweeter take on the classic. Or, add bacon bits and peanut butter drizzle to make your own Elvis inspired bread!
Banana Bread FAQ's
To make banana bread, you will need: ripe bananas, flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and baking soda. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, mash the ripe bananas in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and baking soda. Add the mashed bananas to the dry ingredients and mix everything together until well combined. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
You can store banana bread at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. If you plan on keeping it at room temperature, it will be fine wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If you would like to refrigerate your banana bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 1 week. Banana bread can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container before freezing.
Banana bread will last for 5 days at room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer.
There are a few things that you can do to make sure your banana bread is moist. First, be sure to use ripe bananas. The more brown they are, the better. Second, add some milk or yogurt to the batter. This will help to keep the banana bread moist as it bakes. Finally, don’t overbake your banana bread. Once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, remove the banana bread from the oven so it doesn’t dry out.
If you are looking to make banana bread a little healthier, there are a few things that you can do. First, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. You can also add some flaxseed meal or bran to the batter. These ingredients will add fiber and nutrients to the banana bread. Finally, you can use less sugar or substitute some of the sugar for honey or maple syrup.
Yes, you can make banana bread without eggs. There are a few options for doing this. One is to substitute two tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal mixed with six tablespoons of water for each egg. Another option is to use a quarter cup of applesauce in place of each egg.
Yes, you can make banana bread without banana, but it will not be as moist or flavorful. If you would like to try this, you can add some extra milk or yogurt to the batter. You could also try adding some mashed sweet potato or pumpkin puree. These ingredients will help to keep the banana bread moist and add flavor.
There are many things that you can add to banana bread to change up the flavor. Some popular additions include: chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, and spices. You can also make banana bread with different kinds of flour, such as whole wheat or almond flour.
Yes, you can make banana bread in a muffin tin. The bake time will be shorter, so be sure to check on the banana bread after about 15 minutes. You may need to adjust the baking time depending on the size of your muffin tins.
The best way to ripen bananas for banana bread is to place them in a brown paper bag at room temperature. This will help them to ripen more quickly. You can also place them in a sunny spot. Once the bananas are ripe, they should be brown and soft.
There are a few things that you can do to moisten dry banana bread. First, you can try adding some milk or yogurt to the batter. If the banana bread is already baked, you can try brushing it with a little bit of honey or syrup. Finally, you can wrap the banana bread in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to help keep it from drying out.
If your banana bread is too dense, it may be because you are using too much flour. Be sure to measure the flour correctly when making banana bread. Another common reason for dense banana bread is overmixing. Be sure to mix just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing will result in a tough banana bread.
If your banana bread is crumbly, it may be because you are using too much flour or not enough liquid. Be sure to measure the ingredients correctly and add enough milk or yogurt to the batter. You could also try adding an extra banana to the batter. This will help to bind the ingredients together and make a more moist banana bread.
If your banana bread is gummy, it may be because you are using too much banana or not enough flour. Be sure to measure the ingredients correctly and add enough flour to the batter. You could also try adding an extra egg to the batter. This will help to bind the ingredients together and make a more sturdy banana bread.
To prevent banana bread from sticking to the pan, you can coat the pan with butter or cooking spray before adding the batter. You can also line the pan with parchment paper. Be sure to let the banana bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before trying to remove it. This will help it to firm up and not stick to the pan.
If your banana bread is burned on the bottom, it may be because the oven temperature was too high or the banana bread was in the oven for too long. Be sure to check the banana bread after the minimum bake time listed in the recipe. You can also try covering the banana bread with foil during baking to prevent burning.
Yes, you can make banana bread ahead of time. Banana bread can be stored at room temperature for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months. Be sure to wrap the banana bread well before storing it.
The best way to reheat banana bread is in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. You can also reheat banana bread in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Be sure to wrap the banana bread in foil or place it on a plate before reheating.
Yes, you can make banana bread without eggs. There are a few recipes available online that do not use eggs. You may need to experiment with a few recipes to find one that you like. Additionally, you can try using a “flax egg” which is a mixture of ground flaxseed and water. This will help to bind the ingredients together and make a more sturdy banana bread.
