I don't think I'll ever find a "best ever" banana bread, but this one comes close! And as a bonus, it's a banana bread recipe that calls for only two bananas. It's the Best Ever Banana Bread from Taste of Home, and while I'm sure I've tried it, I couldn't find the recipe in my files. Now it's a staple because I don't always have three bananas. Or three thawed ones, at least. I finally started putting the half bananas we don't eat in the freezer.
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Two Banana Bread Texture and Flavor
As I write this, the two banana bread recipe has 5 well-deserved stars and 406 reviews. It's a dense, neatly slicing loaf with a deep brown color (thanks to the low and slow cook time and the baking soda) and a tight crumbed, moist texture. It's on the sweet side, but I wouldn't tamper with the sugar because the sugar contributes to the texture. Also, the walnuts cut the sweetness somewhat, so in no way is it overly sweet. It's just an all-around good recipe and you should try it if you have some ripe bananas. You only need two.
Baking Tip! Ripen Bananas with Egg Yolks
And speaking of bananas, here's a trick I learned recently. If you want to use your bananas but feel they could be a little riper and sweeter, mash them in the mixing bowl as the recipe directs, then crack the two eggs in a separate bowl and add only the yolks in with the bananas. Allow the bananas and yolks to sit for 30 minutes. An enzyme in the egg yolks (amylase) converts the starch in the banana to sugar. Once your bananas look a little darker, proceed with the recipe as written adding the whites etc.
I named this "Best Ever". It may be the best ever if it's the first loaf you make, but there are lots of other good recipes out there. My other favorites are The Starbucks Copycat, Self-Rising Flour Banana Bread and Small Loaf Pan version.
Recipe
Best Ever Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (230 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar (300 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large bananas very ripe (8 oz)
- ½ cup canola oil or use coconut oil
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk 2 ½ oz
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch or a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. For best results, whisk for at least a minute to ensure all of the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
- In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas, then add the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir until combined. Fold in nuts.
- Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 325° for 1-¼ to 1-½ hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Anna says
José G, thanks for the helpful tips! I don't have a bread machine right now, but a lot of people do so this is good info. Also, it's great to hear the egg yolk trick worked for you. I haven't had to use it in a while because my bananas have been pretty ripe, but it's worked the couple of times I've used it.
José G says
Used this recipe as is, in a bread machine (Zohirushi). Worked great and it was delicious! Used only one cup of sugar, and the other half was substituted with splenda (4 packets instead of 6) trying to do a (small) reduction in the sugars. Tried the egg yolk trick, and for me it made all the difference, tasted like it should! Thanks! José G
Anna says
Hi Elaine, I use Gold Medal and King Arthur. Hope that helps.
Elaine says
Hi from malaysia- this recipe looks great and I’d like to try it but just wondering which brand of flour you use as protein levels differ and I’ve had some of my banana breads come out really gummy when I’ve used lower protein flour. Thanks In advance
Anna says
I'm so glad you liked it! This one and the Starbucks Copycat are my two favorites.
RL says
I made this yesterday. It is SO good! Couldn't have been easier. My oven was broken so I even baked it in my toaster oven for 1.5h at 325. I used melted coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I added 1/4t cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and a dash of mace (I kind of did a mash up between this recipe and your Starbucks copycat). Toasted pecans in batter. No buttermilk so squeezed a lemon quarter into half and half.
I don't think I'm ever going back to butter in banana bread again. Butter belongs on top of a slice! This is where it's at! And it gave me a great opportunity to use my summer-kitchen-melted giant Costco tub of coconut oil.
Anna says
Glad you tried it, and I know what you mean!
Sue says
This turned out great! Now I want to make all of my other banana bread recipes and compare. I wish I could!!!
Anna says
Here's the way I do it when I feel my bananas aren't quite ripe enough. I mash the bananas in the bowl, add the yolks only, mash the yolks around with the bananas, then let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes while I get everything else ready (flour, sugar, etc). I then add the whites, oil, vanilla as directed. It does take a while for the bananas to darken, but they will.
Sue says
That's a really interesting tip about the bananas and egg! I must try this!!