Am I a walnut person? This is the question you need to ask when faced with a bunch of overripe bananas. And what about chocolate chips? We are entering heady territory now. How well do you know yourself? This banana bread recipe we are about to share will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about your true self. Prepare to encounter some deep existential truths. We are going to get into it today.
First off, bookmark this page and you will never be stuck looking for a great banana bread recipe ever again. We’re including the best banana bread recipe of all time.
Now there is banana bread, and then there is banana bread with walnuts, and then there is banana bread with walnuts AND chocolate chips! But also full on chocolate banana bread (wtf?!), gluten-free, pecan, coconut, you name it. Where do you land on the banana bread scale?
Gluten-free, full on chocolate, glazed, ultra-moist, maple pecan! How do you navigate all these variations?
A simple bananas-only bread is a fine thing, the way nature intended. And there are so many variations (see above) it is much simpler to just stick to the tried and true. But then the walnuts show up and teach us a thing or two about the everyday miracle of existence. And then you give it the old razzle dazzle and dump a bunch of ooey-gooey-melty-delicious chocolate chips into the mix and invite chaos, and perhaps just a touch of magic, into your life. Clearly we are fine with all of the above.
Note – if you’re out of brown sugar, here’s a tip from our friends at Crosby’s to DIY enough to make this recipe.
If you’re a purist, take this recipe as your solid gold standard. If you like to buck tradition, feel free to add the additions. Bon Appetit recommends sour cream! Why not? This time of year having a few loaves of banana bread on hand is always a good thing.
Banana Bread
- 2 to 3 ripe bananas, peeled. 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (all out? See above for a great hack from Crosby’s)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or milk chocolate chips
Mash bananas with melted butter. Add flour and mix. In a separate bowl beat egg with vanilla, salt, sugar and baking soda. Mix everything together. At this point add your walnuts, or chocolate chips, or both. Scrape into a buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 for 55 to 65 minutes.