Irresistible Golden Banana Bread
Recipe
Golden Banana Bread—For When You Need a Hug in Loaf Form
Man, there’s nothing
like the smell of banana bread just chilling in your kitchen. You know the
one—the kinda scent that makes you forget about your to-do list and
just…breathe. This golden banana bread is scaled down for two (or one, if
you’re not in the mood to share; hey, no judgment). It’s super moist, crazy
easy, and yeah, goes down just as well for breakfast as it does for a midnight
snack. You’ll probably want to eat it straight outta the oven, but try to show a
little restraint. Or not. Live your life.
What
you’ll need
- 2
really ripe bananas (like, the blacker the better—about 1 cup mashed)
- 1 cup
all-purpose flour (120g for the nerds)
- 1/4
cup sugar (50g, but honestly, eyeball it if you’re feeling wild)
- 1/2
tsp baking soda
- Pinch
of salt (so, 1/4 tsp)
- 1/4
tsp cinnamon (totally optional, but c’mon, cinnamon)
- 1
large egg
- 1/4
cup melted unsalted butter (57g, if you wanna be precise)
- 1/2
tsp vanilla extract
- Bonus
points: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (or both, go nuts)
Stuff to grab
- Big
mixing bowl
- Medium
bowl
- Fork
or potato masher (your call)
- Whisk
- Rubber
spatula (or a wooden spoon, honestly)
- Measuring
cups & spoons (unless you’re living dangerously)
- Mini
loaf pan or a small one (8.5 x 4.5 inches is perfect)
- Parchment
paper (if you don’t wanna scrub later)
- Wire
rack for cooling (or just a plate if you’re impatient)
All
right, let’s make banana bread like a real person, not a food robot.
Step 1.
First things first: crank your oven up to
175°C (that’s 350°F for the non-metric crowd). Grease up your loaf pan—don’t be
shy with the butter. Or just chuck in some parchment if you want to pretend
you’re on a cooking show and want a flawless exit.
Step 2.
Grab your bananas. The uglier, the better. Seriously, those sad, brown,
mushy ones hiding in the back of your fruit bowl? Perfect. Mash ‘em up in a big
bowl with a fork. Leave some lumps. Nobody wants banana baby food.
Step 3.
Melt some butter (microwave, saucepan, whatever). Let it cool for a sec,
so you don’t scramble the egg you’re about to add. Toss that in, along with a
splash of vanilla. Give it all a good whisk.
Step 4.
In a different bowl (medium-ish, who cares),
throw together your flour, sugar, baking soda, pinch of salt, and some cinnamon
if you’re feeling spicy. Stir it up.
Step 5.
Dump the dry stuff into the wet stuff.
Gently fold it together with a spatula.
Don’t beat it to death—just mix until the flour is barely gone. Still see some streaks.
That’s fine. Want to go wild? Fold in some chocolate chips, walnuts, or
whatever your heart desires.
Step 6.
Pour that glorious batter into your pan.
Smooth the top, or don’t. Life’s too short for perfection.
Step 7.
Bake it. Toss it in the oven for around 45-50 minutes. Check with
a toothpick—if it comes out clean (or with a couple crumbs), you’re golden. The
top should be brown, not burnt.
Step 8.
Let it chill in the pan for 10 minutes.
Then flip it out onto a rack. If you can’t wait and slice it warm, it might
crumble a bit—but honestly, who cares?
v
Macros (per big ol’ slice, out of two massive slices, not those
tiny café ones): – Calories: 400-450-ish
Protein: 6-8g
Carbs: 70-80g (it’s bread, relax)
Fat: 15-20g
(Seriously, these are ballpark numbers. Your mileage may vary, especially if
you go nuts with add-ins.)
Tips & Tricks
• Bananas should be basically collapsing under their own
weight. Trust me, it makes a difference.
• Don’t overmix. No one wants brick bread.
• Go nuts—literally. Shredded coconut, dried fruit, white
chocolate, whatever’s lurking in your pantry.
• Want to make it fancy? Mix up a quick glaze with
powdered sugar and milk or OJ. Drizzle the heck out of it.
• Toss in a pinch of nutmeg or allspice if you want to
smell like a holiday candle.
• Vegan? Swap the egg for a flax egg (Google it, it’s
easy) and use plant butter.
FAQs
1Q: My banana bread is dry. Did I anger the baking gods?
A: Probably overbaked it, or your bananas were too firm.
Next time, go for the gooey, spotty ones, and don’t walk away during the last
10 minutes of baking. The toothpick test is your BFF.
2Q: Can I make this in advance?
A: Heck yes. Wrap it up tight after it cools, and it’ll
stay fresh for a couple of days at room temp, about a week in the fridge, or
freeze it if you’re planning ahead/lazy.
3Q: Can I use frozen bananas?
A: YEP. Thaw them, pour off the weird banana juice, mash
them away. It might get a bit softer in texture, but it still tastes awesome.
Now grab a slice, slap on some butter, and enjoy your
victory. Banana bread forever.
Comments
Post a Comment