Easy 5 Star Recipe for 2 Loaves of Banana Bread
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09/11/2002
This is the best banana bread I have ever had, it is so dense and banana-y. I use less banana (still about 2 cups) when I don't have enough, and I use only a half cup of brown sugar, the bananas are sweet enough - they don't need so much sugar.
02/24/2009
I'm a baker by design and i gotta say, this is one of the best banana bread recipes i've ever made. I've already made it several times in the month and a half since i discovered it. The extreme banana flavour is awesome.I did make a couple additions- a spoonful of fresh ground cinnamon for that beautiful hit of spice, as well as a tsp of vanilla while creaming butter/sugar. Also a big handful of freshly toasted, roughly chopped pecans after adding flour mix to batter. Also i think that because i add nuts i end up having to bake about 5 - 10 min longer than specified in the recipe. Fantastic recipe- i don't think that anyone would be able to turn down their nose to a slice of this fantastic banana bread. Way to go Shelley! Note: for all t hose finding it too dry- Don't overmix the batter, and don't overcream the butter/sugar mixture either. You do not have to cream as u normally would for a cake recipe. And the key to getting the perfect sweetness is to use really really overripe bananas.( store overripe bananas in the freezer with the skins on-defrost,peel and mash before using in recipe)Also pack the brown sugar very tightly and you will not be disappointed!
05/03/2002
This is THE best banana bread I have ever made!
09/05/2003
MOOOOOOVE OVER GRANDMA'S RECIPE..... here comes the new traditional banana bread recipe that will go down in your family generations to come!!!!!! MOIST MOIST MOIST! I knew if I kept looking I'd find the ultimate banana bread recipe! We ate 1/2 the loaf when it came out of the oven and my 3 and 4 year old girls were pushing eachother to get to the pieces on the plate! I added 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp vanilla. Next time I make it (tomorrow :D ) I'll be adding 1 tsp of nutmeg and same of cinnamon... just to give it a different flavour. I'm giving this recipe 5 stars because it's the BEST BASIC RECIPE I have ever found! I also set a timer for 40 minutes and losely placed a tin foil over the bread as I don't like crusty banana bread. This was perfect. Total time of baking was: 70 minutes Well, well, well, worth it. Bravo Shelley! (ps... it took 5 large bananas)
10/11/2003
Seriously wonderful! I read many of the reviews & made a few changes. I didn't add as many bananas (1 3/4C), afraid of it being too banana-y but I think the full amount would have been even better. As suggested by others, I added 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp each nutmeg & cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla & altered the sugar to 1/2 C each white & brown sugar. I added some nuts and the struesel topping someone else added to muffins & it was delicious though I doubled it for the loaf (1/3 c. packed brown sugar, 1/8 c. flour, 1 Tbsp. softed butter, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, mix together and sprinkle on top)!! Baked at 300 for about 75 minutes (but I have a weird oven). It was very moist but not gooey and the edges weren't dried out, as can happen.
11/17/2009
A decent, but not outstanding, banana bread. Its best feature, in my view, is that it takes care of an abundance of over-ripe bananas in one fell swoop. (Plan on five good sized bananas) It certainly was moist and dense, but maybe too much so. I'm wondering if the addition of a little more leavening might improve the tight texture and give it more of a crumb. Also, with this large amount of banana, which in itself is sweet, the amount of sugar could easily be reduced by about 1/4 cup or so. I added a teaspoon of vanilla, a half cup of chopped pecans, and baked in a Bundt pan for about 50 minutes. I'm glad to have used all my over-ripe bananas with just one recipe, but this still won't take the place of my favorite banana bread recipe.
12/31/2002
This banana bread turned out great. It wasn't too sweet which pleased my family. I used 5 very ripe bananas, a dash of cinnamon, a splash of vanilla extract and I added an extra 1/2 tsp of baking soda. I baked it in 2 disposable aluminum loaf pans(8 x 3.5 x 2.5) and baked it for 15 minutes less. I gave one loaf away and saved one for myself.
08/16/2003
Very good, moist banana cake that will give you the opportunity to customize it to your own taste. The base recipe is excellent, and some of the "problems" mentioned by others can be corrected by tweaking the recipe here and there. I tried the suggestion of adding cinnamon and vanilla (1 tsp. each) and will back the cinnamon off to ½ tsp. on the next loaf so that there's just a hint of flavour to back up the banana. The use of brown sugar gives a deeper flavour to the bread, so if you're looking for a lighter touch, substitute granulated white sugar. I do believe the oven temperature for the recipe is a little high for this type of cake, which can result in a "not quite done" center. I will back off to 325ºF and extend the cooking time on the next try--that should do the trick!
07/06/2007
Just made this recipe yet again and it's still my favorite banana bread! I doubled the recipe to make one for a bake sale at school tomorrow- and another to have at home because I knew everyone would want to taste test. Turned out GREAT! Tips based on my experience and other reviews I've read: Make sure you follow the directions EXACTLY, adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per batch is helpful to the taste, start out at 45 minutes baking time and check every 10 minutes until done if you are concerned that it might get overdone, cover the bread with a piece of aluminum foil if it starts turning brown and there is still 10+ minutes left (prevents the top from burning) and most importantly - the bananas have to be REALLY RIPE- not "ripe enough to eat" but TOO ripe to eat! That makes the best banana bread. If you are looking for a "sweet bread/cake" flavor than add more sugar, but I find this is just the right amount of sweetness for us! Only thing I'd change next time is adding walnuts - it would make it PERFECT.
04/29/2005
Yum, yum, yum. I enjoyed this a lot. It was super moist and sooo easy. I only made a few changes based upon previous reviewers suggestions. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, added 1 teaspoon of allspice and added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. I used approx. 6 bananas and it was perfect. Towards the end of the baking time it might be a good idea to cover the top with foil.
10/21/2007
Wow, this recipe tasted heavenly! I made these in muffin form for easier eating for my family. My kids (and husband) kept sneaking into them like they were cookies! On a side note: I added some mini semisweet chocolate chips and some cinnamon chips (from Hersheys) and some ground cinnamon. Scrumptious!! *~*~**TIP**~*~* It takes about 6-7 bananas to equal the 2 1/3 cups you need for this recipe. If you don't have that many OVERLY ripe bananas just hanging around, do what I do: when I end up with a lone overly ripe banana that no one will touch, I put it in the freezer (unpeeled) then when I slowly start accumulating quite a lot of them in the freezer, I pull them out and either let them defrost on the counter OR defrost them in the mircowave. The peels will turn black in the freezer, don't worry that is normal. Also, the banana texture will be a really funky squishy. That is also normal, makes it easier to mush. But these frozen overly ripe bananas add such a rich banana flavor. **ALSO** I have made this recipe a bunch of times, that is how much myself and my family LOVES IT!
06/03/2003
I am extremely pleased with this recipe. I was somewhat concerned about the amount of banana in the recipe but it turned out great! It was a very dense banana bread but it was incredibly moist and was great toasted!! I made the following changes: Added 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. I also made a confectioner's glaze with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla that I poured over the loaf. When it dried, it was super tasty. I will be using this recipe again!
07/28/2003
This is THE BEST! I am seriously confused over the (very few) negative reviews. This recipe has now replaced my mom's 25 yr old banana bread. This stuff is awesome. I am still getting compliments from friends who tried this at out annual bake sale! I make 3 mini loaves and cut back on baking time. My alterations: add 1 tsp vanilla, 1tsp. cinnamon to the mix. I also make a topping with 2 tbsp. brown sugar, 2 tbsp. melted butter and a pinch of cinnamon. I pour this on top before baking, throw on a handful of chopped pecans and swirl it into the top. It makes it beautiful and gives a tasty nut crunch topping. GOOD LUCK!
08/10/2002
This bread was really good, but really dense. I added about one teaspoon of vanilla, a teaspoon of cinnamon and some chopped walnuts. I will make this bread recipe again!
12/30/2002
I used this recipe all summer in our Java Shop; people could not get enough of it. I did add 1 tsp vanilla,1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 c. honey mmmm good
04/06/2003
I loved this bread! I made a few adjustments of my own though. I made a cinnamon/sugar mix using 2 TBSP granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon. I added this to the bottom of the greased pan and top of the batter. It gives the bread a wonderful taste. I also added 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts. This will now be my permanent banana bread recipe, thanks Shelley!
09/25/2000
Everytime I make banana bread, it comes out so heavy. Not with this recipe..It is by far THE BEST BANANA BREAD I have ever made..My family loved it,, I made it and they ate it in one day!!!! Thanks for this great recipe!
10/15/2000
This is the best banana bread I have found in two years of really looking for a good one. Changes I made to the recipe were to use whole wheat flour instead of regular and added 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. In a fit of pure decadence we had chocolate ice cream on top!
12/22/2010
A great recipe, although just a pinch bland. I added cinnamon, cloves, ginger, about a tablespoon of molasses, and sprinkled chopped walnuts on top of the batter. I used 1.5 cups unbleached wheat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. I will make again, but I'll probably add applesauce and increase my spices. A great way to use up icky overripe bananas!
09/08/2003
Go Shelley! This banana bread is TOPS! TIP ON COOKING A BIG LOAF OF BANANA BREAD: My husband (who is a chef) told me to turn the oven down to 300 and bake it longer (I just kept an eye on it). The result: the banana bread was cooked perfectly through and through - no burnt crust or soggy middle! This recipe is heaven and I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!! UPDATE: By the way, I tried it with 1 cup of milk added (per another review) and it was terrible. This recipe doesn't need messing with! It works with however many bananas I happen to have on hand. Today I only had 2 bananas so I thinned the batter out with a little egg nog - yum!
12/28/2002
this banana bread didnt have any texture at all. it didnt taste like banana bread whatsoever. it was really bad and i'll just stick to other banana bread recipes
10/22/2000
This banana bread is very good and easy to make. Adding vanilla is good. The trick to this to try to mix the wet and dry ingredients as little as possible. Comes out great everytime.
08/27/2000
ho ya!!mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
08/25/2002
Great banana recipe. I made it in a 9x13 pand and it came out great. It was very yummy with the cream cheese frosting I made to go with it.
10/29/2003
This is wonderful!!! I made it for 2 different bible studies and everyone loved it and kept commenting on how moist it was. I did take a few of the previous suggestions and I added 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla and I divided the sugar into 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup regular. It came out GREAT! I only gave it 4 stars since I did alter the recipe a little.
09/01/2000
This is the best banana bread recipe I have ever had. My kids inhaled it! It is moist and yummy. I added a teaspoon of vanilla and a little extra sugar to it, and it was fabulous. It would be even better with nuts!
12/17/2002
This banana bread is fantastic!!! I have made it several times already and it is the best banana bread ever. I don't measure out the banana; I usually just use about 4-5 medium bananas.
09/11/2003
Shelley, what a WONDERFUL recipe. I only had 2 cups of bananas,so that is all I used. It still was plenty moist. I also added 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. baking powder. I also took the advice of cooking it at 300 degrees, the outside wasn't overcooked at all and the middle was done. Will make this recipe again!! Thanks!
01/20/2007
Wow. Unbelievable. I tend to like it sweeter, so I took the suggestions of other reviewers by making the following revisions: upped the brown sugar to 1 cup Added: 1/2 t cinammon 1/4 t nutmeg 1 t vanilla Streusel topping: 1/4 c brown sugar, 1/4 t cinammon, 1 T butter Also, I mashed 2 c of bananas and chopped up 1/2 c of bananas for extra texture. LOOKS fabulous too! Good luck to all, and thanks to the OP for this great tasty recipe!
11/03/2001
What went wrong? This bread never did get done. It was totally mushy inside and I even cooked it 20 minutes longer then the recipe called for. It was too brown on the outside and a mushy mess inside. Had to throw it out. Would not recommend.
09/17/2000
OH-YEAH!!! WONDERFUL! QUICK,EASY AND EXTREMELY TASTY! TWO THUMBS UP!
10/30/2006
i have to take back everything I wrote negative about this recipe...I made this again today and the taste was wonderful.I must of did something wrong the first time...This will be my banana bread recipe
02/02/2011
FANTASTIC! This is my go-to banana bread recipe from now on. I did need to bake it a bit longer, but it was just the right texture and moistness inside, with the perfect crust. We let it cool on the deck in below-zero temperatures ... couldn't wait to eat it!
02/03/2011
very moist and yummy
07/10/2003
DELICIOUS!!!! The best banana bread!! I also made mine into muffins, and they turned out perfect! I also made a strusel topping and sprinkled it on top and it made it even more delicious! For the strusel topping I combined 1/3 c. packed brown sugar, 1/8 c. flour, 1 Tbsp. softed butter, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, mix together and sprinkle on top of muffins before baking. Fantastic!
10/15/2000
This is the best banana bread. I added walnuts and used the topping from the TO DIE FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS also on this web site. I also used 3 mini loaf pans. This bread is so moist and favorful. The topping I used really adds some spice to the recipe. Wonderful!!!!!
10/01/2000
My first try at banana bread, and it was fabulous! I added 1 tsp of vanilla.
09/02/2000
Great recipe. This is the banana bread I make from this point on!
02/10/2011
This is a great, easy recipe. I added chopped walnuts. Make sure not to overbake it!
12/03/2002
I have read reviews saying this bread came out dry, but I fail to see how that could happen. This was incredibly moist. Used cinnamon. This is not a cloyingly sweet banana bread, which most adults appreciate. Superb texture, freezes perfectly.
08/25/2007
Great banana bread with a few changes. I added 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1 t. vanilla and 1/4 c. vegetable oil (did not omit the butter). I also baked this at 300 for an hour and 15 minutes, rather than the higher temp and there was no over-browning on the outside. I topped with a generous dose of brown sugar before baking and it came out GREAT!
03/24/2007
Yuk!!!! The moist goopiest banana bread I have every tasted. What a waste of ripened bananas. If I could have this a minus 10 I would have, it went straight into the garbage. If you want good banana recipe from this site make Mocha Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, I have made this recipe a hundred times and always is superb either as muffins or bread! Good Luck!
12/29/2002
WOW WOW WOW! This was a wonderful bread. I did take the advice of other reviews and added an additional tsp of baking soda. It had a bit of overflow, so maybe an addition 1/2 tsp would have been good. I did NOT mind the overflow at all. It did rise and still had a great texture and was really moist. We will be making this one often. I enjoyed that it wasn't so sweet. My husband just enjoyed it, QUICKLY. This one lasted about 24 hours in my house.
01/13/2005
This is the ONLY banana bread recipe I will ever use again. The second time I made this, I followed the recipe, and then added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbls vanilla extract, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 cup of raisins. Excellent all around. If you don't like raisins or walnuts in your bread, at least use the extra cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. On its own the bread is pretty good and very moist, but it does lack just that little extra something (at least in my opinion). So play around a bit with additions (Isn't that what all us good cooks do anyway?), but overall, its an excellent recipe, I'll always use the base ingredients and change it only based on my mood and items on hand. You should too. I base my opinions on how well the recipie tastes on its own first, then how I would change it to my owns tastes. No need to whine about something like a bread or pastry that doesn't include your prefrence in add ins. Judge it how its tastes as prepared. This on its own without additions, is excellent.
12/16/2002
This was tasty and moist. I added chopped pecans.
10/23/2000
This was without a doubt the best Banana Bread I have ever tasted. It was very easy to make.
07/06/2003
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Shelley!! I usually avoid using the oven when it's this hot, but this recipe is SO worth it! I made this last week and it disappeared immediately, so I just made a double batch. I made 1 bread and stirred 3/4 cup cocolate chips into the remaining batter for muffins that are wonderful! (I didn't time the muffins, but it was about 30 minutes & they were nicely browned on top.)
12/13/2002
Very good...I added 21/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tsp of vanilla. It was moist and rised.
01/29/2011
I use this as my base recipe. I have now added cinnamon and occasionally zucchini or raspberries. The whole family loves it! However I have to bake mine for 70-75 mins, must be my oven. Thanks so much!
06/30/2003
There is a reason this recipes was listed in the hall of fame. It is good. I don't like bananas or banana bread and I even thought it was good. I didn't alter the recipe in any way and it came out wonderful. I did have to put some foil over the bread the last few minutes as it got a little too brown. I made the bread for my sitter and the kids today. When I picked up my daughter, there was almost no bread left. It was a huge hit.
10/08/2000
An excellent recipe! It was really fast and simple to make! My whole family loves it! :)
12/28/2002
Mmmmmmmm .. I just made this and the house smells like a bakery! Thanks sooo much. Just be sure that you have 5 very ripe bananas on hand.
02/23/2003
This bread is for you if you love a dense, slightly greasy, very banana-y bread. I happen to like mine a little lighter.. if you are like me, you HAVE to try Banana Bread IV from this website. Deliciously bakes up with a crusty top.. so perfect! Just try it!!
05/09/2008
This is the gold standard in banana bread. Nothing fancy going here, just a classic, pure and simple. My tip: for those of you having trouble finding enough "over ripe" bananas, start a "banana bin" in the freezer, and any time you have a few old bananas laying around, toss them in. The skins will go all black, but that's okay. When you have a bunch, just defrost and you're good to go! They may weep a little liquid but I just mash it all up and it seems to turn out the same.
09/23/2002
This was the banana bread recipe I was searching for! This bread was very heavy and moist with a wonderful smell and taste. I added cinnamon and vanilla for extra flavor. I doubled the recipe and the bread was just as good the second day. Thank you for this recipe.
01/20/2011
The first time I have tried a banana bread recipe and it was great! I made it into muffins and used self-rising flour and didn't use the salt and baking soda. My 5 year old loved them and so did the rest of the family!
02/27/2007
This banana bread was great! I made it exactly like the recipe states. Thanks for the recipe, I'll be tossing out all my other banana bread recipes cuz I've found a winner here!
09/13/2002
I have tried so many banana bread recipes that just haven't turned out quite right, but this one hits the spot! It tastes so good and moist, and it's quick and easy to make! I added a cup of walnuts for an extra added touch. Yummy!
09/28/2002
I have made this twice to rave reviews. The recipe is very forgiving about the amount of bananas. I made it once with too few bananas and once with two many bananas, and they were both good. Thanks for sharing this one Shelley!
01/19/2007
OK so this is the 2nd time ive made this. 1st time it was kind of yucky so i made improvisations. i replaced 1/4 cup of the brown sugar w/ 1/4 cup white sugar. Then I added 2 teaspoons of vanilla and used 2 cups banana instead of 2 1/3. Finally, it really only needs to bake 50 minutes. 2nd time it was amazing!
04/28/2003
This banana bread is pretty good. Not very moist though. I used 1 cup of brown sugar instead of 3/4 cup I used 2 1/2 bananas, but in the future I will use 3. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla and a dash or two of cinnamon. I think I will add a tablespoon or so of milk to it also to make it just a little more moist. I loved this bread and so did my husband. I will definately use this recipe again! Thanks Shelley!!! :-)
02/02/2003
This bread is really great! I substituted about 1/2 C of the flour with oatmeal for a "heartier" bread, and added a teaspoon or so of vanilla for a kick. I also sprinkled a little oatmeal and brown sugar on the top of the loaf before baking just for fun. The bread turned out moist and very flavorful (so much so that I couldn't figure out what I put in there to make it taste so good!). Excellent recipe, I'll absolutely make it again.
09/24/2001
To tell you the truth, this bread had very little flavor. Perhaps this could be because there is not very much added sugar. However, it was extremely moist and sliced well. The flavor was definitely lacking though, so I will not rate this recipe very high. It's funny how something with so many raves can have so little flavor.
03/26/2008
I used this recipe but added in some other ingredients making it Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins. I added in 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/8 tsp. Allspice, 1/2 Cup toasted chopped pecans, 3/4 Cup chocolate chips and baked for 25 mins.
11/24/2007
I used 3/4 cup maple syrup instead of brown sugar. I added 1/4 cup ground flax seed to the flour mixture just to make it healthier. I used 4 bananas; mushed 3, sliced 1 (half on top, half in the batter). I baked at 350F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was perfectly moist and yummy! If you insert a tooth pick and it is a little bit wet, it is probably from the bananas. The batter is done if you bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes so don't worry if it's just shiny wet but not gloppy.
01/01/2003
This is the best banana bread I've ever made. Great recipe.
09/15/2002
Wow!! Really easy & tremendously tasty. I added a little vanilla, cinnamon & walnuts.
12/28/2002
This is the best banana bread I have ever tasted. The more bananas, the better.
01/17/2008
Great recipe, I made 12 muffins. I baked at 350 degrees for 19 minutes. I did make some modifications--I used 3 bananas (not the 2.5 cups)and I added about 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon. I also made a crumb topping with approx. 1/4 C brown sugar, 2 T flour, and 1.5 T cold butter. When I have bananas that are getting too ripe, I peel them and put them in a ziploc in the freezer. Then, about 4 days before I will use them, I'll put them in the fridge to thaw and liquefy a bit--makes a great banana liquor to spread the banana flavor throughout the recipe! You can sometimes buy overripe bananas at the store at a huge discount and throw them in the freezer in batches of three or so!
02/08/2011
I made this in to muffins and added some cinnamin and nutmeg. They were very good. If making muffins bake about 30 min.
02/24/2007
Excellent bread! Instead of the 1/2 cup butter, I used 1/4 cup cinnamon flavored applesauce and 1/4 cup butter. Very moist and delicious!
11/29/2002
OH MY! This bread was awful, I couldn't taste any flavor in it. I am sorry that I have to give it such an awful rating, but I just didn't think it was all that great
12/03/2002
This was my first banana bread and it turned out wonderfully flavorful and moist. I chose this recipe partly because of the readily available and basic ingredients. I used a round 9-inch cake pan (because I thought I didn't have a loaf pan) but it might as well have been cake, as delicious as it was. Recently, by mistake, I tried another banana bread recipe I found online and it was very disappointing. This is the best banana bread recipe I've ever tasted. My boyfriend even bragged about it. One thing, though: I have a glass Pyrex loaf pan and when I use it, I need to go at least 90 minutes to fully bake the gooey middle, especially if I add a little more banana mash to the mix. It turns out dense and heavy and fully of banana flavor!
11/02/2012
Fantastic recipe! I only used 3 bananas (less than 1.5 cups) and added a splash of vanilla, and it still turned out perfectly. I'll definitely be making this again.
06/11/2003
Oh wow! This recipe is wonderful! I substituted the butter with a 1/2 cup of oil, I used 4 bananas (since I didn't want to measure)added 1/4 cup extra brown sugar (because I have such a sweet tooth!) and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. This is the best and most flavorful banana bread I have ever had!
02/02/2011
Yummy.
09/30/2002
This is excellent banana bread! It has wonderful flavor and texture. I added finely chopped dried cherries and pecans, as well as cinnamon, nugmeg and cardamon (all for a little flavor), and used an electric mixer to cream the butter/sugar, and blend in the rest of the ingredients for a smooth batter. In two smaller loaf pans, it baked in just under an hour. Thank you for sharing this terrific recipe!
12/04/2006
my bread did not come out as expected. It was like pudding bread in the middle. any advice? I had to throw it away.
04/21/2004
I made this banana bread along with two others from this website (Cathy's Banana Bread and Banana Bread II) in order to compare them. I fully expected this one to beat the others due to the hundreds of good reviews it's received. However, I didn't like it at all. Upon re-reading the reviews I discovered others who also found the bread "stodgy" and "gummy", as I did. I also realised that even some of the reviewers who gave it five stars commented on how "dense" it is. I think that I may have over-mixed the batter somewhat, but also that I simply prefer banana bread with a fluffier texture. For those who are looking for something light and airy in texture, I would not recommend this bread.
12/10/2013
I read all the reviews for this recipe and got overwhelmed by all the suggestions. So I said to myself "Forget that!!! I am going to make it EXACTLY as written, word for word!" I did just that, didnt add a single thing, didn't change any of the ratios of ingredients one little bit, and I am SO happy with the results. This banana loaf was PERFECT...not too dense, but not too bready, perfectly moist, perfect mix of textures, tasted perfect. Make it as it and dont sweat about all the suggested changes!
01/30/2007
This is a wonderful recipe! I was apprehensive about using butter instead of oil like my usual recipe. After all, dumping some oil in is so much less work than softening and creaming butter. But the result was dense and moist, like a bread pudding more than a coffee cake. And I *liked it* that way! I used a round pan and needed to bake an extra 20 minutes (with the top covered to prevent overbrowning). Instead of pureeing the bananas, I left plenty of little 1/4" chunks in the mix. But my favorite aspect of this recipe was that instead of just using two bananas, the way my old recipe recommends, I managed to get 4 in my 2 1/3 cups. Great results! I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.
04/09/2007
Made this EXACTLY as stated - I checked it after the recommended baking time - it was totally raw still in the center (toothpick test) so I ended up cooking it another 10 minutes (checked again) then another 10 minutes (still raw) I must have had to add on another 30-40 minutes to get the center cooked, but by that time the outside was overcooked. It still once I took it out was undercooked in center (after slicing) - WAS NOT IMPRESSED with this recipe....
01/03/2003
Excellent! I also added a tsp of vanilla flavoring. This recipe gives you a very moist and flavorful bread.
10/15/2002
This is the best banana bread ever!! It is so moist and flavorful. I make it all the time and like to put a brown sugar crunch topping on it!!
07/10/2009
I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I've tried many different banana breads, but this one seems to be the simplest and best tasting. Moist, and a huge crowd-pleaser. I did make the following additions: 1 T. cinnamon (add this to the dry ingredients), and 1 T. cinnamon. Also, if I have it on hand, I will add in 2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream. This just enhances the moistness of the bread. Make sure to fold in the bananas and stir the wet and dry ingredients by hand and not mixer until JUST moistened. Bananas should be BLACK, very very ripe. You can freeze mashed bananas in a ziploc bag and save them until you are making bread. I use 3 large overripe bananas for this recipe. I have used shortening, margarine, and butter and they all work wonderfully with this recipe. I also grease the pan and coat it with a brown sugar-cinnamon-flour mixture, and sprinkle some oats on top for presentation. I also accidentally UNDERBAKED this recipe yesterday and found that although the middle sunk, I stuck it back in the oven and baked it, checking it every 5 minutes for doneness. If the top starting browning too much, I turned down the heat to 200F and kept the process going. It STILL turned out PERFECT!
02/07/2007
I've tried many MANY banana bread recipes, and just couldn't find the right one. I was just about to give up, when based on the reviews, gave this one a try and I finally found my favorite banana bread recipe for life! I followed the recipe and then added: 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 cup whole walnuts The bread came out moist, perfectly banana flavored and so delicious, my husband and I ate the whole loaf in two days! It's more of a cake consistancy than bread. After I took it out of the oven, I dusted the top with a mixture of cinamon and sugar and it added a tasty little crust on the top. I also played with different serving suggestions (since I ate 1/2 of it myself lol) I had one piece with cream cheese (yum!) and one piece with peanut butter (double yum!) The whole walnuts (rather than chopped) made the bread look and feel like a loaf from a gourmet bakery. You got a nice chunk of walnut with each bite. This will be my bake sale staple for life. Thanks for sharing such a foolproof, easy and delicious recipe!! PS-the best part of making this is that your whole house will smell yummy all day!
04/20/2007
Great bread. Tastes like banana but is not rubbery. The second time I made it I added 1 tsp vanilla and let my cooked loaf sit in a plastic bag for a day or two before eating. This made it much more moist. Note: adding too much banana in hopes of making your bread taste more like banana will make it rubbery. For a more intense banana taste, try leaving some chunks when you mash the fruit.
12/15/2002
Combined this recipe with the banana sour cream bread for a winner - added 1 container of fat free sour cream, and used all fat free products (my friends are health conscious) and added 2 cups of chocolate chips! Yum :) I didn't enjoy it as much as most people, but that might be b/c I only like chocolatey desserts :)
10/02/2006
Delicious. To make a little healthier I used 1C all purpose flour and 1C whole wheat flour, and applesauce for butter. I also added in some chocolate chips. Delicious.
07/08/2007
Our family went through 4 mini loaves of this bread at a dinner party. It was delicious!! I added 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg. Then I sprinkled with cinnamon sugar before baking. MMMMMMM MMMMMMM good!!!
10/02/2006
My 12 yr old son and I put this recipe to the "test". We went to work in the kitchen; he followed the recipe I've used in the past ten years, and I followed this new one. I did add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Two loaves later, our entire family chose to retire the old recipe; this recipe was voted the best tasting, with great banana flavor, very moist and just plain yummy! It won hands down!
12/20/2010
All fine, except pay some attention to the final mixing, don't over-mix! Fold everything softly just enough to moisten the flour. Adapt baking time depending on how "watery" the quantity of mashed bananas you have added is; in my case, I should have lowered the temperature on the half hour and continue for about a quarter more at 140C. I made a slight change for a somewhat lighter bread: I separated the eggs, mixed the yellows with the butter and sugar batter and beat the whites before folding them into the final batter like I do for chiffon cakes. The result is an agreeable sweet bread, not fluffy but neither too dense.
01/16/2006
This was a hit by my entire family. I added 1 tsp. vanilla, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. I also used 1 cup whole wheat flour in place of the regular (2 cups flour in all) and you would never know the difference; plus, the kids get the extra nutrients. I made these into little banana muffins and baked for 14 minutes at 350 degrees. This is definitely a keeper! So easy and fast...
03/21/2003
What a waste of bananas and time! This bread was soooo dense and rubberish .... I would never make this again and recommend others not to either.
09/27/2002
Very good banana bread! I used 3 medium ripe bananas, although maybe 4 next time! I added vanilla extract, some cinnamon, ground cloves and a pinch of powdered ginger. very good, moist texture, perfectly finished in 60 minutes
01/01/2003
I had never made banana bread before and this was really simple and tasted wonderful.
09/28/2002
This was a very good banana bread, very moist and flavorful. I did add some cinnamon, vanilla and walnuts, and I'm glad I did, because I think it would have been bland without it. I also only had 2 cups of bananas, which was fine since I had the other extra flavors.
03/04/2002
I thought this recipie sounded good, but the bread was awful. Too many bananas I guess, the bread was mushy. I cooked it for almost 2 hours and the Bananas never cooked. I would not recommend this to anyone!
01/03/2003
Made this recipe, and found it to be really easy to make and tasted great. Thanks for the great recipe.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread/
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