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    Home » Recipes » Breads » Quick Breads

    Ultimate Banana Bread

    Published by Melissa on April 5, 2013 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 37 Comments

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    Featured Image for post Ultimate Banana Bread

    For the ultimate banana bread you want a bread loaded with great banana flavor that’s moist and tender, but not overly moist or soggy.

    When America’s Test Kitchen emailed me a link to their Ultimate Banana Bread recipe and video, I just happened to have 3 very ripe bananas on the counter. We eat a lot of banana bread and our favorite is a recipe from Cooking Light, Better Banana Bread. We’ve been making that banana bread recipe several times a month for years.  However, I’m always happy to try a new recipe, especially one that claims to be the Ultimate Banana Bread.

    Ultimate-Banana-Bread-Barbara-Bakes
    Their theory behind the recipe is that you need to use lots of bananas to achieve a great banana flavor, but if you use too many bananas the texture is mushy. They solve this problem by softening the bananas in the microwave, and then separating the banana juice from the bananas and reducing the banana juice on the stove. They have a video explaining how they came up with the recipe and their process.

    The trouble was the recipe called for 6 very ripe bananas and I only had 3 bananas, so I decided to divided the recipe in half and make two cute little banana bread loaves.

    Ultimate-Banana-Bread-Collage-Barbara-Bakes

    My daughter loves Craisins in her banana bread, so we added dried cranberries to the banana bread. I usually don’t like walnuts in my banana bread, and I didn’t like them in this banana bread either. I think in a bread that highlights the banana flavor, the walnuts were overpowering. If you’re going to go to all the trouble to reduce banana juice you should just let the bananas shine.

    Their method doesn’t take a lot more time, but you sure do dirty a lot of dishes. In the end though, the flavor and texture of this banana bread is excellent. I may have to agree, this maybe the ultimate banana bread.

    Featured Image for post Ultimate Banana Bread
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    4.29 from 7 votes

    Ultimate Banana Bread Mini Loaves

    Prep Time25 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time55 mins
    Course: Quick Breads
    Keyword: baking, food, recipe
    Servings: 2 mini loaves
    Author: Barbara Schieving
    Prevent your screen from going to sleep

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon table salt
    • 3 large very ripe bananas
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
    • 1 large egg
    • ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries optional
    • ¼ cup walnuts toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350º. Spray two mini loaf pans (5 ¾ x 3 ¼ x 2 ¼) with nonstick cooking spray.
    • Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.
    • Place 2 ½ bananas in microwave-safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife. Microwave on high power until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 2 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (you should have ¼ to ⅓ cup liquid).
    • Transfer liquid to small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until fairly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.
    • Pour banana mixture into flour mixture and stir until just combined with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in dried cranberries and walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
    • Slice remaining half banana diagonally into ¼-inch-thick half moon slices. Shingle banana slices on top of either side of loaf, leaving 1 ½-inch-wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.
    • Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and continue to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    More banana bread recipes you might like:

    Chunky Monkey Banana Bread, Barbara Bakes
    Banana Nutella Bread, Barbara Bakes
    Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread, Barbara Bakes
    Coconut Pecan Banana Bread, Add A Pinch
    Orange Blossom and Honey Banana Bread, A Cozy Kitchen
    30 Favorite Banana Bread and Banana Recipes, Averie Cooks
    Biscoff Banana Bread with Biscoff Cookie Streusel, Two Peas and Their Pod

    Ultimate-Banana-Bread-Collage-Barbara-Bakes

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    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Daliza

      April 14, 2020 at 8:12 pm

      I skipped the whole microwaving banana and saucepan steps and just mixed the 2 mixtures together and it still came out delicious! Great recipe! Not too sweet!

      Reply
      • Barbara Schieving

        April 15, 2020 at 5:37 am

        Glad it was a hit – thanks Daliza!

        Reply
    2. Rose

      January 22, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      Excellent! I followed the recipe as written including adding the craisins, but no nuts. It is the Ultimate Banana Bread. Thank you.

      Reply
    3. Lara Fabans

      April 19, 2013 at 9:35 pm

      Bought my husband some banana cake from the local uh-may-zing bakery. He offered me some but I declined. Call me silly, but nothing is better than banana bread. Brings me right back to childhood happiness. When my mom passed, my dad learned quickly how to make two things: meatloaf & her banana bread.

      Reply
    4. Aruna Advaney

      April 19, 2013 at 10:24 am

      Thanks for sharing. 🙂 I like your ingredient rations, and how you combined the two recipes. I also like the similarity to this recipe that I tried for cinnamon honey banana bread:

      http://www.hungrybrownie.com/recipe-cinnamon-honey-banana-bread/

      and that you used even less sugar & flour with the same amount of bananas.

      I don’t have the mini-pans. Do I need to make any cooking adjustments for my 8×4 loaf pan?

      Reply
      • Aruna Advaney

        April 19, 2013 at 10:25 am

        Sorry, I meant ingredient RATIOS! lol…

        Reply
        • Barbara Schieving

          April 19, 2013 at 2:29 pm

          Thanks Aurna. For an 8×4 loaf you’ll want to bake it for 55 to 75 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean

          Reply
          • Aruna Advaney

            April 19, 2013 at 2:40 pm

            Oh, how easy! Thanks!

            Reply
    5. My Inner Chick

      April 11, 2013 at 6:44 pm

      O, Banana Bread is one of my fave. things in the ENTIRE WORLD.

      This looks So Deeeeeeeeelish,

      Thank you, B. x

      Reply
    6. Linda M

      April 11, 2013 at 3:49 pm

      It looks cute with the little banana shingles, but I don’t know if it is enough to lure me away from banana nutella bread. I’m kinda fixated on that one.

      Reply
    7. Lauren @ Dallas Duo Bakes

      April 10, 2013 at 7:38 pm

      I never thought of adding craisins to banana bread. I love them, so I bet its a great addition. I like how you layered the sliced bananas around the edges of the pan. Looks pretty!

      Reply
    8. Becky

      April 09, 2013 at 1:12 pm

      This recipe does look exceptional. My go-to banana bread recipe comes from an old Southern Living cookbook and it is oh so good!!

      Reply
    9. Karen Petersen

      April 08, 2013 at 9:34 pm

      I’ve also wanted to try this method since I saw it on ATK but like you, I rarely have 6 ripe bananas at once!!

      Reply
    10. Nutmeg Nanny

      April 08, 2013 at 1:41 pm

      Mmm, this looks delightful 🙂 I bet it’s perfectly moist!

      Reply
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