jacked-up banana bread
The list of people who know my secret are as follows: Alex, but he married me anyway; my mother-in-law, who was about to throw some old bananas out one day and I gave myself up, yelping “wait!” at the last moment; the lady at the bodega where I get my yogurt and fruit each morning, who watches me sift daily through the bright, yellow ones on top for the sordid, unlovable ones at the bottom of the pile; Molly, who I confessed my banana sin to in a moment of cream cheese-frosted camaraderie; and now you. Go easy on me, please.
My love of the spotty banana, unfortunately, conflicts with one of my other loves — banana bread. You see, exactly when the bananas hit their bread-making prime time, I don’t want to share them with anyone. I’m serious. I haven’t made it in years. But, I’m feeling generous this week, and also in need of a treat, and yes, I know so-called calorie-watching on top of my other aches and pains sounds an insult to, well, you know, but if I can’t exercise for so many weeks, something is going to have to give. Yet, seven days into this I’m itching for a little something-something, something small and tame and when I saw this recipe on Elise’s stunning site, I thought, for once, “well, maybe I could share.”
Oddly, and perhaps complimentary, enough, I found myself using Simply Recipes for this bread the way I use Epicurious: rummaging through each and every comment until I’m certain the adjustments I’m itching to make will work. And then? I jacked it up. I replaced white sugar with the light brown variety, and cut back on it, too; I added a splash of bourbon, salted butter and then doses of cinnamon, nutmeg and even cloves. And also, though it goes without saying by now, mixed it with one hand. I hope Elise’s friend’s friend doesn’t mind that I bastardized her recipe, I just couldn’t resist gilding the lily, as usual. And that one tablespoon of bourbon? This is no time to fixate on accurate measurements.
It was just what the doctor ordered. [Actually, no, the doctor this morning ordered six full weeks in the sling, but let's just talk about that another time, okay?] Let me rephrase: this is how I interpreted what the doctor ordered, and can you blame me? This is the height of banana bread perfection and all those little extras manage to add something fantastic without overwhelming the base flavor. It’s my new go-to recipe and Elise, you did my adored bananas proud.
Elise’s Friend Heidi’s Friend Mrs. Hockmeyer’s Banana Bread, As Jacked Up by Deb
Adapted from Simply Recipes
No need for a mixer for this recipe — need I say more?
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (depending on the level of sweetness you prefer, I always use the smaller amount)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Note: Due to my unhealthy obsession with tiny things, I split this into two mini-loaf pans. It took 45 minutes to bake two perfect halves, but of course, may run longer or shorter in your oven.
You are wrong, those bananas are NOT passed their prime. As far as I am concerned they are right in their prime for eating. Once they get passed where you have them, I will consider them for banana bread or pancakes, but right there where they are right now…they’re perfect.
So I guess I too share in your love of the unloved bananas.
Well, of course you can’t hold a tablespoon and pour bourbon at the same time with one hand. And you are so careful to tell us how you divided the batter into two mini pans and how long it took to bake. I’m sure you were equally careful to measure out exactly one tablespoon. Right. I am right about that aren’t I? I mean two would change everything. Oh, I’m sure you wouldn’t use two tablespoons and not tell us. I mean you’ve just made this dark confession. You would never do that. Right. Right!
Fun post.
Oh, a day too late! My nanners were well beyond this but I was still looking for a good recipe for them. Hubby tossed them when I wasn’t looking. I think I need to print this out and head to the store… ;)
I too love the “aged” bananas. The speckles just make them all the more fun to eat!
Bread looks delicious
=)
Six full weeks?? I’m so sorry, Deb. Bring on the bourbon. That banana bread looks like it could cure any woe.
Your stirring arm is going to have some muscle on it by the time you’re healed!
I think, according to Chiquita, that you like perfect bananas:
“I’m Chiquita banana and I’ve come to say – Bananas have to ripen in a certain way- When they are fleck’d with brown and have a golden hue – Bananas taste the best and are best for you – You can put them in a salad – You can put them in a pie-aye – Any way you want to eat them – It’s impossible to beat them – But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator – So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator.”
Nice banana bread!
Sigh…
Im a fan of the bright yellow-slightly green on top banana. MMMM (i want 1 now damnit) Does it count that i always buy a lot of them and make sure there are a few stragglers left for just such an occasion?
anyways.. i made the recipe thats been in my family for ages.. this 1 tho i gotta say… its gonna give it a run for its $. Bourbon seems like such a natural thing to add.. like, why didnt i think of it sooner? Its like Bananas Foster.. but in bread form.. Oh MAN… a warm slice of your bread, deb, with some vanilla ice cream? OYI
OK on a side note here… My step family is jewish and me being the goy that i am tried to make matzo ball soup for the 1st time..
Do they like a big open pan to cook in so they can fluff up? I cooked mine in like a 3qt pot and they didnt poof up. They were more like lil chewy small size golf balls.. instead of the nice light fluffy 1s my aunt makes. Shes on vacation till mid December so i figured id ask you. OO a new idea for your site.. “ask deb”
Anywhoo, suggestions or whatever would be much appreciated.
Oh MY. You know how I feel about banana baked goods, and this one is definitely going on my to-do list! I love your addition of salted butter, and the bourbon! Amen to that. Brandon, Mr. Woodford Reserve, will heartily approve. Thanks for sharing your beloved freckled bananas, Deb.
Maggie, thank you for putting up those lyrics, I would have had to google them otherwise.
Deb – Bananas and bread, great combination, but where are the nuts? Or is that a sin? Oh and finally I know that I needn’t throw out my bananas once they’ve passed the edible phase of bright yellow into the speckled baking goodness.
“bastardized” and “gilding the lily” in one sentence?! this is EXACTLY why I love your writing. you are too funny!
I think everyone has a different banana scale! I am terrified of anything other than almost-green bananas, though for my banana bread I’ll let them get brown, soft, and almost oozing. Eew. Or yum. I’m not sure. Whatever it is, it’s good for banana bread.
One of my favorite things to do to banana bread is replace the flower with oat bran that I buy in the bulk food section of my market. It really, really lightens up the bread. I have to admit I’m not good at measuring things… I usually put in around half flour/half bran, taking out a bit of butter or whatever other liquid is in there to compensate. I’ve also added yogurt to my banana bread – mmmmm.
Hi Cupcakes -
(I hope it is okay to post a reply here! I didn’t see another way to respond to this comment)
I also like soft fluffy matzoh balls. After you chill the dough, do not, I repeat, do not, apply any pressure to it (I.e., no rolling, shaping, or other perfecting-type motions). Just break off a chunk, lightly push in any large straggling bits and drop them in the pot. The less you fiddle with them, the lighter they will be. I think it all depends on preference – my brother loves them light and fluffy, whereas my dad roles them between his palms to get hard little marbles!
I too like the slightly green, no brown bananas! However, the kind you like are NOT unloved, just loved in a different form…baked in something! I’ve been making several different recipes of banana bread recently. I think one of the best I’ve found has been one that is actually for a banana cake but I morphed into bread. The post will be coming soon. Not to worry…the recipe is from a guiltless desserts class I attended, so It’s not too bad for ya!
Not a big fan of slightly green – I prefer the speckled bananas, as well.
As per all of your food shots, that banana bread looks absolutely delicious!
I buy bananas and then wait until they go that brown before I eat them. My boyfriend (transplanted to NY from Georgia) has this amazing southern tiramusu recipe with vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and bananas cooked in bourbon and brown sugar– I think your recipe is the bread version of that. Hmm, I’m working from home today; maybe I could whip this up at lunch…for lunch…
Six weeks? Yikes, I don’t know what I’d do. I’m sorry Deb! As for the bananas, my husband likes them like that too, or even blacker, or green for that matter. He just loves them. I myself like them very underripe, a hint of green. I won’t eat them after about 2 days.
The bread looks wonderful. :) I love love the smell of banana bread baking. Well who doesn’t.
Hi Deb – I commented on one of your posts earlier saying that I am a beginning cook and asked you to recommend some cookbooks for beginners. Well, this will be my husband & I’s first Thanksgiving in our home and we have decided to make dinner on our own. I found some excellent recipes on epicurious.com but most of them have serving sizes quadruple of what we need. I know how to cut the ingredients down, but then how should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks so much for your help! I am sure that I will become a regular commenter (questioner) in the next week! By the way, I hope you feel better soon!
Oh, I almost forgot to ask, have you tried any recipes for biscuits, rolls, croissants, etc. that you would recommend for Thanksgiving? Maybe something with cheese and/or garlic?
I totally agree with Cupcakes! Sensing the desperate need for an “ask Deb” section!!!!
I am completely with you on the banana thing. Really ripe and spotty is perfect, I can’t understand people who eat them none spotty.
Mmm, well I’ll have to give this recipe a go, too!
You need to check out this recipe for banana-chocolate chip muffins from epicurious.com http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101020 I make them just as the recipe states and they are a real crowd pleaser. Next time I might add a teaspoon of strawberry jam to each muffin before cooking…kind of a banana split muffin.
YUm! i am hungry. Tim is spinning at Crobar tonight–that’s your neighborhood……
I am a speckled banana lover too, and always daring to tread on the thin line between banana perfection in speckled form, and banana wine because they have gone too far over the edge. If they don’t simply fall apart and I have to actually use my teeth to cut through it, it’s too ripe!
And yes, Banana Bread is a fav, and Elise’s recipe does look divine, but I really need to manage self control to make it in my house as well.
If you make these into muffins in a non-stick pan, then you won’t have all of that pesky one-handed slicing and wrapping of the loaf to do. I’m just saying. :o)
I need my bananas tinged with green. Freckles hit the trash every time (sorry!).
Theresa-
If you want an easy garlic cheese biscuit recipe, try the one that I made earlier this week out of the Betty Crocker catalog:
Garlic-Cheese Biscuits
2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 450. Whisk bisquick, milk & cheese together in a bowl until a soft dough forms; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by 10-12 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine butter & garlic powder until well mixed; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
I made these earlier this week with the vodka cream pasta recipe that Deb posted a few months ago and both were fantastic. These biscuits couldn’t be any easier and if you wait to cover the leftover bisuits until they have completely cooled off, they save really well (the melted butter dries and doesn’t leave them soggy). Enjoy!
Oops, that would be a Betty Crocker cookbook, not catalog. Also, I sprinkled some minced garlic into the dough before combining which further upped the garlic flavor.
Yes! I love ‘em. I have the same problem with bananna vs bannana bread…by the time they are ready I am eating them.
What’s funny is my g/f eats them even further past the freckled stage! No hope for bread.
How sweet of you to assume that I was vacationing, and not that I, too, was engaged in the equivalent of throwing myself down a flight of stairs.
Dear girl, I think a vacation is a bottle of wine and a game of checkers.
Que sera, please continue picturing me someplace quiet, in a hammock, with a mountain view. *sigh* I can almost feel it. Oh, and I’ll take along a slice of that yummy homeade bread, with a wee drop o’ the brandy on the side :)
Thanks Jessica! I’m a Southern girl at heart and must have my biscuits at Thanksgiving! I will definitely be using that recipe!
Freckled and speckled is the ONLY way to eat a banana. While they’re green, there’s no flavour (at least, not a yummy ripe banana flavour). The secret is to keep DH from eating them while green so I can have some speckly ones left for me or for banana bread. I try to buy them on the verge of freckles for this reason, to his everlasting disgust. This recipe looks scrumptious… but I would have to make it muffins for easy freezing (and thus less tempation to gobble it all over the weekend).
Take it easy on your shoulder,
Sweet Potato
Christine – Well, I am glad to hear it’s not just me, and this seems the perfect time to admit that well, I could go another day on these, possibly two. I bet nobody sympathizes with me now, eh?!
Tanna – For once in my life, I actually measured the booze. I was so worried about leading you guys astray. That said, next time I’ll add another tablespoon. But, er, we already expect that from lushes like me.
Karen – I remember one we had this swarm of fruit flies in our old apartment and Alex is like “NOW can we throw them away?” I had to cave. It was pretty gross.
Birdita – Amen!
Luisa – Oh, the bourbon will be brought on. In theory. In practice even half a glass of wine is putting me to sleep while I am still hitting the Advil – bad Deb! As for the six weeks thing, yes, quite sucky. But, yesterday was coincidentally the first day I could actually say I felt better (must have been all that complaining on Wednesday that did it), so that kind of made me forgive the bad news. Six weeks of my current state, this I can handle.
Jenifer from Memphis – It had better. It’s not very coordinated yet, though. I dribbled yogurt down my shirt this morning like a toddler. So sad!
Maggie – Best comment ever. That was awesome.
Cupcakes – Ecch, no green! Sadly, I am not a matzo ball expert because my mother or Alex’s mom always makes it for us! But, I will try it this winter, promise. And report back.
An Ask Deb feature? Hm. Alex likes the idea. I find myself answering questions over e-mail a lot. Maybe I should post those too. I’ll tell you what: email me questions, I’ll see what I can answer. (I’m no expert, mind you.) We’ll consider this an informal experiment for now.
Molly – Yum, Woodford Reserve, I will have to try that again. We’re more the Basil Hayden types ourselves, but I used Knob Creek in the bread. We’ve had it for two years and barely made a dent. I know this is bourbon blasphemy, but I find it a wee harsh. Perfect for baking, though!
Kirs – I don’t mind nuts in baked goods at all, but they’re such a divider, I’ve just started skipping them. I mean, nut-likers will eat it either way, right? In addition, I’m saving the second loaf for when my parents come for dinner on Sunday, and mom can’t eat nuts. See what a good kid I am?
M – Even funnier that I spelled lily wrong and had to go back and edit it AND I’m using the new Firefox with the built-in field spell-checker. But thank you.
Rachael – My rule is that if I have to stick my nail in to start peeling the banana, it’s not ripe yet. Right now, half of you are going “gee-yewww!” I actually think a little whole wheat flour in this might be nice – I like some grit in my breakfasty foods. I might play around next time. And also, of course it’s okay to post a reply in the comments!
Claire – Sounds great. Banana bread is pretty easy to make low-fat and sugar because most of the moisture and sweetness come from the bananas themselves. Can’t wait to see yours.
Browneyedgirlie – Thank you. And you have excellent taste in bananas.
Carly – Oh my GOD that tiramisu sounds amazing. Oh share, please share!
Tammi – Six weeks brings me to Friday December 22nd. Alex says we can go ice-skating December 23rd. Not bad, right? Right?
Theresa – I hope I helped you with today’s (Friday’s) post. As for cutting recipes down, I do it all the time. Surprisingly, the baking time is rarely very different, but you should begin watching it at the halfway point, just the same. Good luck!
Married Girl – E-mail me your Qs. I’ll try my best! You guys have way too much faith in me.
Eryn – You have excellent taste. But I probably still won’t share with you, hee.
Liz – Try it! And then, let me know how it compares to that one you like more than CI. I’m curious.
Leslie – Alex would LOVE those muffins. The boy thinks you can add chocolate chips to anything. Thanks for the link.
Jocelyn – Yeah, I saw. But, we’re taking Alex’s sister out to celebrate that she passed her bar exam. And people bumping into my arm as they would at a crowded club? Makes me want to slug them with my good arm. What a sight THAT would be, right? What are doing for your birthday? I know JUST what to give you. ;)
Kate – I am thinking that to lighten this recipe up, adding another banana, dropping the sugar to ½-cup, and then replacing that 1/3 cup of butter with yogurt (with fat, I think is best), would really really work. Just a thought! I’d hate to think of anyone being deprived of banana-y goodness.
Celeste – I like the way you think, despite your affection for tinged green bananas. You must learn to love the freckle! :)
Jessica – Sounds yum. But now I have to figure out how to make Bisquik at home! (I suspect salt, flour, baking soda…)
Jezzie – I will totally eat them past the freckle state, too. I hope you get that vacation real soon!
Sweet Potato – Freezing is key! I’ve got the other loaf in there right now, awaiting a better reason to eat it than just “snacking.” Oh, the joy of mini-loaf pans.
I find your banana eating habits just a little gross, but your banana bread –FABULOUS!
So bizzare that I was hoping to come here and find a banana bread recipe because I have some freckled bananas just waiting to be used. Thanks for the share!
another thing I learned was coconut – try some dry unsweetened, or better yet, fresh grated or thawed, frozen fresh grated (chewier than the dry one) in your banana bread – it is to die for!
I can’t believe I’m just finding this post now. Bravo! I love the adjustments, especially the bourbon. Gorgeous photos!
Great recipe. But why are you all tossing those lovely ripe bananas? toss them in the freezer instead for your next batch of bread.
http://badhomecooking.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-make-your-house-smell-good.html
Ode to banana bread, with a link to this page! I bow very low.
I made this exactly per recipe… except, second time substituted ALL flour with whole-wheat flour as an experiment. What with all the spices and somewhat inexact bourbon measuring (as per your recipe, of course!), even my bf, king of all things white, fried or greasy, loved it. A little darker and grittier than white flour. But I liked it better all the same. Do you think it would be de trop to use more than 3 or 4 Bananas?
I’m making this recipe right now…..I didn’t have any bourbon, just rum left over from the Christmas cakes….think that will be all right? I must say, it’s making the house smell lovely!
That’s really funny how here in America, almost everyone I know won’t eat/buy a banana that’s not mostly green.
Where I’m from (Singapore) those bananas up there would still be in their prime or not yet prime enough because there seems to still be some green on it. To each culture their own I suppose…
This looks like a good recipe to follow, although I might wait a little more on the bananas!!
Love this site! LOVE IT.
I’ve been experimenting with MANY banana bread recipes recently, and yours was among the four I tried yesterday. I really enjoyed the spices and bourbon in yours, but I think a tsp of baking powder (in addition to the baking soda) would really help lighten it up. [Your loaf came out quite a bit denser than some of the other loaves I've tried.]
Just a suggestion, but other than that, I’m a frequent lurker of your site. :)
Sweet mary mother of pearl. I don’t bake, except for banana bread and pumpkin bread, which I bake extremely well, thankyouverymuch, but after making probably a dozen different banana bread recipes (including Elise’s), this one takes the cake. Just when I thought I’d found the perfect (for me) banana bread recipe, boom! I get my hair knocked back and now I’m questioning everything.
Ok maybe not, but damn this is a great recipe. Bravo.
oh dear, i don’t think those spotty bananas are quite ripe yet.
i like them browner!
I mash my over-ripe bananas, pour each mashed banana into the individual compartments of a muffin tin and freeze them. After they are frozen, pop them out and put the “banana patties” into a freezer bag and store in your freezer. When I get the urge to make banana bread, a smoothie, whatever banana thing I want, I just get them out of my freezer.
Finally, I have done a Smitten recipe justice! Its taken years as I have been reading for longer than I can remember and now I have the excuse to drop you a comment! I had three freckled bananas calling out to me this morning, one sister staying with my for a holiday and one small toddler who loves “badas”. I didn’t have baking soda, my baking powder was out of date so I used self-raising instead. My fan assist oven always cremates anything I try to bake slowly but this time everything came together and I just tried my first slice and this loaf is heavenly. Its slightly denser looking than yours, but thats the way they like their banana bread Downunder, I know this is going to be a hit at tea this arvo, and I WON’T be disclosing the nature of that secret ingredient, no one needs to know the banana bread their toddler is devouring contains a cheeky hit of Jack Daniels!
HOLY FREAKING MOLY!
I had been craving banana bread for about 2 weeks. I had a tried and true recipe, and seeing that I really totally suck at measuring stuff, and it had worked out in the past I was set on using this recipe. Then … I thought … no way! I have been reading all the super fantabulous recipes on SK and she HAS to have a better recipe. OH EM GEE! This banana bread makes me happy in my pants! It is SO moist, SO flavorful, SO perfect.
One million times thank you … I can’t wait to be bold enough to cook another of your recipes.
I have a great banana bread recipe from Cooking Light that has rum and lime juice..,I don’t have bourbon, can I use rum?
I’ve wanted to make this ever since I came across the recipe a few months ago, but I kept eating my bananas before they got ripe enough. Whoops! Anyway, I finally managed to control myself long enough to actually get a loaf made, and man, is this recipe ever a keeper. I added some shredded coconut, which gave it great texture, and I plan on experimenting with chocolate chips if I can ever get three ripe bananas all together in one place again. Thank you!
i have to admit, i’m a bit of a banana purist. so when you mentioned that those bananas were past their prime, i was thinking to myself, oh the minute those were yellow all over, they were headed to banana bread heaven. mostly green with a touch of yellow for me.
and this banana bread recipe… it *was* heaven. i think i’ve finally found a recipe that could knock my mother-in-law’s version out of my husband’s head. at least for a day or so.
I am making this right now… I put it in a Bundt pan… I don’t know how long to bake, but I’m checking it at 40 minutes.
I tweaked it a little – whole wheat flour, oat bran, flax seed meal, light on sugar, added walnuts, used Jack Daniels because we didn’t have bourbon… but oh my, they are delicious, and I especially love that they aren’t sticky/gummy in that way that banana bread so often is. And they didn’t taste gross-healthy-uncooked in the way that wheat flour substitutions so often do.
Had bananas that were a BIT past the freckled stage so ready for bread. I like even smaller things than you, apparently, so made this recipe into muffins.Could not skip the nuts, so added some walnuts. Baked for about 23 minutes (checked at 18, dry toothpick at 23, a couple more minutes would have probably made the crusts just a little more crunchy). They were delicious — moist and banana-y. Made exactly one dozen perfectly sized muffins.
freckled??? I love them black. Black and potent with juicy banana goodness is the best for baking.
WOW! Deb you sure know how to bastardize a recipe! With 4 bananas not mashed to a complete mush, but still sort of chunky and not measuring the booze, this recipe is going down in the hall of banana bread fame. Nice work!
NOTHING is better than a freckled banana!
I was unaware that anyone could possibly choose to eat them any other way.
i have this friend who is emotionally scarred from bananas. When she was five, she left a banana in her kindergarten lunch bag for 3months and now cant stand the smell let alone the taste of bananas. i must admit, i take great pleasure in eating a ripe freckled banana in front of her… must be the sadistic tendencies emerging from within lol.
must try this recipe. yum :)
I almost blasphemed during Lent because of this recipe. BRAVO!
I wasn’t a banana bread freak until I made this recipe. I had three black banana peels filled with near-liquid banana.
Of course, my poor, dear husband was devastated he’d have to buy a fifth of bourbon, so I could use two tablespoons of it. The sacrifices he makes …
I doubled the bourbon. Next time, I’ll quadruple it to see if I can breathe fire.
I also like Leslie’s idea of making muffins with a dollop of strawberry jam. I might try that as well.
I just baked a gluten-free batch of this banana bread using my basic standby GF flour mix ( = 1 part rice flour, 1 part tapioca starch, & 1 part cornstarch with about 1/2 tsp. guar gum/xanthan gum added per cup of mix), and it is delicious – a moist, even crumb and fabulous flavor with the spice blend + bourbon! I make banana bread often, and I will definitely use this recipe (with gluten-free adaptation) again.
Getting ready to hit the sack..one last click on smitten..just to drool over the pics if nothing else. Viola! Hit the surprise me link (*love it*) and of all coincidences, I have a bunch of brown bananas on my counter and this is so lovely. And a nice reason to buy a bottle of bourbon. And I’m going to bread, bed with good thoughts.
Added medjool dates that were left over from x-mas and a big hand full of chopped pecans. Like the others I was also very liberal with the bourbon. can’t wait to cut into them. I have also tried the Jamaican Banana bread from one of those food magazines, having rum, coconut, nuts and lime, it came with a coconut/lime glaze topping, it too, was delish. You could put bourbon in almost any thing and it would taste great.
Love the blog, wish I had time to do one too.
i made this today and um…jacked it up again. just a tiny bit of crumble topping. love it!!! can definitely see why this one is a winner. :)
mine is here: http://www.shimelle.com/kitchendiaries/457/sunday-sweets-banana-bread/
I’m not sure what I’m looking for but I often try different banana bread recipes- usually I just find them online and the only deciding factor is whether or not I have all of the ingredients du jour. I tried this recipe today for the 2nd time and WOW, I think it’s the best recipe I’ve ever had. I pretty much follow the recipe, however I give it the California twist of about 1/4 C oat bran and 1/4 C ground flax seed. Since I don’t have bourbon, I replace it with spiced rum (I bet dark rum would be good, too!) and I keep accidentally splashing in more than the recipe calls for. This recipe’s a keeper, thanks!
Deb: I want to thank you for not just this receipe, but all the other ones you post. I have made several of your receipes and they have never let me down. I love all of your comments, feedback, tips, pics and notes – they are most helpful! I know that if I follow your directions, everything will turn out yummy. I have a loaf of banana bread baking in the oven and it already smells delicious. Thanks for all your hard-work. I truly appreciate it!
Just want to let you know, you’re the first place I go searching for a particular recipe and, sure enough, you’ve got this banana bread recipe than I need to try! I made your Jewish Apple Cake recipe and it’s a favorite!! I also love bananas ripened just as you do… these babies are also great frozen for fruit smoothies…Yum!!
OK, I have started searching your website first when I am looking for a recipe… before Cook’s Illustrated!!! I know– wow, right? Their recipe called for buttermilk which I didn’t have, so yours won. And I am so glad it did. It is, hands down, the best banana bread I have ever made (or eaten) in my entire life. Everyone loves it. It is so incredibly moist! I’ve made three loaves in as many days (everyone’s been leaving with a big chunk of it, but I have eaten my fair share). Yaaay, Deb! Thank you thank you thank you!
Just baked this on friday, and blogged about it this morning. didn’t have the right sized loaf pan, but it worked out perfectly anyway. So good!!
Hi….
I just finished making this bread for the 2nd time in 2 weeks. Great recipe. I just came across your blog and am quickly falling in love with it. Your recipes are tempting, simple and approachable, yet very appealing for us die hard culinary fans. Very tough to do. Well done. I also have your graham crackers in my oven right now. Thanks for sharing.
For the bread, I added walnuts, used 3/4 cup sugar, used rum instead of bourbon as that is what I had on hand. Baked for 45 minutes as suggested in one large loaf. Perfect!
just done some midnight baking…had some super old ‘nanas in the bowl and was mulling over recipes til this one :D 8x super mini loaf tins later, bite-size yums!
i really like this recipe. i’ve been adding 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to it. it’s a lot of chips but i like my banana bread to be quite chocolaty. i also added 3/4c of oats when the bananas have been a bit bigger.
also, i was craving this bread (which i’ve made once a week for 4 weeks now) a couple of days ago and i didn’t have bananas. so i decided to try making it with about 1 1/3 c. unsweetened apple sauce and 1 finely diced royal gala apple. i added a little extra brown sugar since the sauce was much less sweet than ripe bananas. it turned out really really well.
anyhow. long story short: this is a great recipe and i’m looking forward to trying different flavours. next up is mango puree, still, of course, 1 cup chocolate chips.
thanks so much for posting it. i had been looking for a good banana bread recipe for a while now. this is a keeper and i’m writing it in my recipe book as soon as i post this (now really long) comment.
Just made this with my brown spotty bananas and some makers mark. Delish! Another winning recipe.
I made these into muffins (substituting the bourbon for Cap’n Morgan’s) and put the Baileys frosting (from the former ‘Irish Bomb’ recipe) on top. Seriously good. I loved how the clovey-ness of the muffin contrasted with the Baileys frosting.
This makes an amazing banana bread – really light, but moist, and delicious without any topping. The first time I made this, I loaded it with chocolate chips. I regret that a bit, because I didn’t realize just how good the banana bread would be (and the chocolate I was using wasn’t especially good, but I don’t think any chocolate can really fit with this cake). I just made it again, and I love it. I replaced bourbon with a healthy splash of rum, since I never measure alcohol or vanilla in batters unless it’s really necessary. It gave it a wonderful warm flavor, but I’m curious about what other liquors might do – next time I might add cachaca instead (and lighten up the sugar), or some armagnac if I can get my hands on it. I actually think that this recipe could work with a splash of good dark beer or stout – I can’t wait to try!
I made this with a 1/2 cup of agave nectar in place of the sugar and it was delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
mmmmm! made this yesterday and it was so good!
I’ve made banana bread muffins before, but the loaf turned out way better.
it was gone before I got a second slice!
thanks!
My 4 year old is gobbling it up (I made it without booze but will have to give it a try next time) and my 7 year old is eating it(he’s picky about baked goods). Thanks for a yummy revised recipe.
Question!!!
I want to make this bread, but I was wondering whether I should add lemon or vinegar to the baking soda. Or are the bananas acidic enough? (I’ve never made banana bread before so I don’t know how they work in baking).
Also, I only have a 5 by 9 loaf pan. Do I have to make more batter to accumulate it or will the recipe quantity be enough to fill one?
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your loaf pan will be fine. I don’t know why you’re looking to add acid but if you think it would make it more to your taste, go for it.
Thank you very much for the prompt reply, Deb!
The reason I asked about acid is because my understanding is that soda needs to react with an acidic compound in order to release carbon dioxide, which makes the dough rise. I wasn’t sure whether bananas are considered such compounds.
Cannot wait to try the recipe tomorrow.
Thank you!
Hm, I wasn’t aware of that but as you can see from the pictures, I had no shortage of rise on this recipe, sans acidity. Hope you enjoy.
thanks for a fabulous recipe! i just needed a boost to the old fashioned kind, and this was the ticket.
i also store my blackened bananas in the freezer until i’m ready to make bread. that way i keep the straglers until ii finally have 3-5 ‘nanas ready.
Girl you should see the bananas we use for our bread! Not spotted but down right black, my mother says, the riper the better.
Oh, I forgot to mention that I love your website! It’s a great source of inspiration. You are awwwwesome.
Yummm-O! I woke up this morning with a craving for that warm, spicy-sweet flavor of banana bread and I remembered your “jacked-up” version from the last time I was studying your website looking at what my friends and I call, food porn. It was surprisingly simple! I didn’t have salted butter, but I read somewhere that it’s like 3/4 tsp/stick, so I just added 3 healthy pinches of kosher salt to my melted butter- just right. The aroma filling my house was almost too much to bare for the hour it was in the oven. The brown sugar makes the crust so crunchy and lovely when it first comes out of the oven. Even the next day it is still very moist, but not chewy-an excellent balance. I will make this again, maybe with some toasted walnuts, as I gravitate to the ripe banana table at the supermarket more often these days :)
Hmmm I made this last night with extra cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and Scotch whisky instead of Bourbon – it smelt and tastes delicious but I think the whisky adds a slightly odd aftertaste that I can’t quite put my finger on and am not sure I’m a big fan of. I think I’ll try it again wihtout the alcohol but maybe with the chocolate chips, and perhaps using veg oil instead of butter…and maybe even cutting back on the sugar a little more (makes me feel sooo smug when I do that!). This bread has a lovely colour, crust and texture and is definitely breadier rather than cakier, which is what I look for in a banana-themed baked good.
Thank you Deb! I made a loaf last night with a few modifications: to compensate for the chopped semisweet chocolate bits I added, I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and used 1/3 cup of brummel yogurt spread in place of the butter. It came out perfectly, and the spices were just right. I’ll definitely be making another loaf again soon! Oh, the variations…
Congratulations on your most recent recipe!
As for this one, I had all of these things in my house (minus two of the bananas for which the recipes calls – I used 2 bananas, but I made up for it with double… ok triple the bourbon) and I whipped these up into some mighty tasty muffins.
My dad is also a fan of the freckle. He spent many years in the Army in South America, and he says a banana isn’t truly ripe until it’s brown and spotty. His problem is that he can’t eat them fast enough once they’re that way, so he’s been looking for a banana bread recipe. I’ll definitely be sharing this with him. Thank you!
I’ve had banana bread in the past and always loved it, but have never made it myself. After having an intense craving for it for two days straight (currently in the 9th month of my pregnancy) I started scouring the internet for recipes. After browsing through handfuls of recipes, I thought to myself – “I should try Smitten Kitchen — every recipe I’ve tried from there has turned out good,” so I came here and found this one, and then proceeded to ask my husband to accompany me to the store at midnight. I whipped up one loaf without the bourbon right when we got home. It was well worth it, though my husband did think I was a bit crazy to be baking in the middle of the night he kindly bit his tongue knowing that he wouldn’t get any if he criticized too much. This is the best banana bread ever. I don’t think I’ll need to look any further for a “better” one. It turned out super moist and since I’ve been thinking about it ever since, I picked up some more “over-ripe” marked down bananas from the store today so that I could make two more loaves tomorrow…if I can make it that long.
Congratulations on your new addition!!
Another total winner! I was essentially trying to folow this recipe to a T, with the exception of adding a chopped Scharfenberger dark chocolate bar, but realised after I got it in the oven I had forgotten the egg. It was still fantastic! This may be because I used the larger number of bananas – in my frantic searching on the internet while my presumed doomed loaf was baking, I discovered that bananas are sometimes used as egg replacer in vegan recipes. Who knew? Anyway, fantastic. Thanks! And congrats on that gorgeous little pookie you have there. Enjoy every minute, they grow so fast!
I had 3 blackened and shriveled bananas wasting away on my counter, and now they have been transformed into glorious morning muffins! I have to admit that I, too, can never quite “gild the lily” as you so aptly put it! So I added 2/3 c. shredded unsweetened coconut and 1/3 c. hemp seeds (going for texture and a little extra fat) and used just a little less flour. I was also out of nutmeg, so used 1 1/4 t. cinnamon. I baked the 12 muffins on the “speed bake” setting (i.e. convection) for 30 minutes. My 2 1/2 year old daughter said “we baked great muffins, Mommy!”. Always a great way to start the weekend. Thanks for the great recipe!
No! The speckly bananas are the ripe ones! If they’re plain yellow, they’re underripe. And that bread looks and sounds delicious—I’m dying to try making it!
Thanks for a terrific recipe! I made a double batch of this yesterday and baked up half of it into a dozen muffins that were done in 30 minutes while the other half baked in a loaf took an hour and a half (or more).
I’m in sorta high altitude Mexico City but didn’t make any changes to the recipe (except using the smaller amt of sugar) and it turned out fine (although they are a leetle on the flat side, but the flavor is great, so I don’t care). I’m thinking I might reduce the sugar even more when I make these again because they are SUPER sweet (maybe because of the ripeness of the bananas).
I’ll be sharing the loaf this weekend for a Halloween gathering…wrapped it and popped it in the freezer…hoping it will be fantastic after a little toasting…
That recipe is, as usual regarding SK, fantastic! Thank you so much for that.
So fluffy and so rich. Just perfect.
Try adding 2 tbs of honey to the recipe. I did and I can tell you it gets even better.
i just made this… it is my favorite banana bread i’ve ever used 9and i’ve made a lot!). thank you so much, love your blog.
My boys and I made a loaf of this on Saturday. We admittedly added 3/4 cup of semi sweet choc chips too. I also used King Arthur 100% white whole wheat flour (it made it healthier right??) It was SO YUMMY! I have 3 boys–ages 7, 11 and 13. The first loaf was gone in less than 3 hours! I made the biggest offender (my oldest son) whip up another batch on Sunday. That one was gone in about 4 hours. Today is Monday and my youngest son just whipped up another loaf (totally satisfied our math requirement for homeschooling today!)…there’s still 3/4 of it left so I have to run now to make sure I get my fair share! Thanks for the recipe Deb!
if i use unsalted butter, about how much salt do you think i should add? 1/2 tsp?
Most sticks of butter have 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt in them, so yes, 1/2 teaspoon would be fine.
I’ve used this recipe a lot within the last few months-I made a few and wrapped them in pretty cellophane as Christmas gifts. I really love this recipe. I add a 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts, as well as some extra on top.
I want to try making mini banana bread muffins and have a few questions!
How I should adjust the baking time, or even the temperature? Also wondering if I should half the recipe..and if not, and have extra dough left over, would it freeze well?
Thank you!
I have been lurking on this blog (and Simply Recipes too) for awhile and loving the recipes (oh, the photos) but this one has taken the cake. Faced with the prospect of 20 frozen bananas, I made one loaf hesitantly…bourbon? cloves? thinking I would just fall back on the original recipe. I should have known better, it was devoured in 10 minutes with the only complaint being “it needs more bourbon”. Lovely recipe, lovely blog. Thank you.
Awesome! I just got a loaf pan for Christmas and needed to make something with it and this was exactly what I had in mind! I added a little less than 3/4 c sugar, added 1/2 c oatmeal along with the flour, and sprinkled in blueberries at the end to make it breakfast-y.
can i put white sugar instead?
I just made this because I was really starving and there was nothing in my house but overripe bananas and the ingredients for banana bread! Lucky me- right?
I was short one banana, but they were huge. I put some peanut butter in there to make up for it- hopefully that will be successful. I also put a teaspoon of cocoa and a tablespoon of really strongly brewed coffee. Bananas and coffee are both tropical and you wouldn’t BELIEVE how delicious they are together. But you probably knew that, amirite?
Anywhoozle. As an 18 year old aspiring baker- I gotta say your site has come in handy for me all of the time :D It’s so hard to find reliably delicious recipes online, but all of your recipes give me a great spring board with which I can mess around and put my own twist on things! Thanks a bazillion.
I always have over-ripened bananas in the freezer. I used a couple to make this recipe (my husband was happy to see a few less in my collection). Wow, this was some of the best banana bread I ever tasted. I did add some toasted walnuts. I’m going to make another batch into mini-muffins w/cream cheese frosting to take to work. I’m sure everyone on their post-holiday diet will hate and love me :-). Thanks for this very excellent recipe, Deb.
OMG!!!I have made banana bread before, but my husband has never raved about it like this recipe!! He said it tasted like the one his Aunt made for him when he was a young boy. The texture and taste were perfect!! Made 3 little loafs yesterday and now have only have one slice of one loaf left!! Put nuts on the top of the loafs to make it look pretty!! Did not use the alcohol because we didn’t have any (it sounded good) but still tasted great.
I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD. I just so happened to have four almost blackened bananas in our freezer (I couldn’t just throw them away!) and they were the perfect ones for this. Super moist, uber flavorful — I loved it (and so did my fiancee)! Thanks, Deb!
I have made a million banana bread recipes in my life…but honestly…this one was the one that will make me stop trying others! My husband said “this is the best banana bread I’ve ever had!” Thanks!!
Oh my goodness, this recipe was heavenly. I followed the recipe exactly and am so happy I did. I will be using this one consistently from now on.
Also I am so thankful to have happened upon your blog! Its quickly becoming a permanent fixture in my life.
I second everything Dara said! And how funny that I just tried this for the first time on the same day that she did!
the perfect recipe to make while buried under 2 and a half feet of snow!! thank you, this was the best banana bread i’ve ever made. :):)
The banana bread recipe I typically use is the one from Elise. I just made the jacked-up version and really like it. I normally add some cinnamon to mine, but really liked the flavor of the nutmeg and cloves. I added one tsp of instant espresso and instead of 1 tbsp bourbon I used 1 tbsp of my rum vanilla extract. I really liked the flavors you recommended. Thanks for a great adaptation to a wonderful recipe. :)
These were good, but I think my bananas werent quite ripe enough. I made them with 2/3 whole wheat flour… and of course, doubled the recipe. They’ll be school lunch bound for the next few weeks. I’m sure I’ll make them again.