On the rare occasions when I actually make banana bread, I've always used my mom's recipe. It is an excellent and very flexible recipe that can accommodate anywhere from two to twelve bananas! (Although I think somewhere between four and ten generally works best.) I would still like to do a write-up for my mom's banana bread recipe at some point because I have many fond memories of both making and eating that bread. This time, though, I was feeling a bit lazy and couldn't remember quite where I'd written my mom's recipe down, so I decided to hit up Smitten Kitchen and see if Deb had a favourite banana bread recipe to share. And, sure enough, she did!

Her recipe is based on another that she tweaked and adapted to her own tastes. Similarly, I applied a few (very slight) tweaks of my own. It is still, essentially, the same recipe though. And a very good one too!

Banana Bread

Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 over-ripe bananas
• 1/3 c. butter¹, melted
• 3/4 c. dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. rum or Frangelico
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. flour²
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Peel and mash the bananas.
2. Stir in the melted butter, then add the brown sugar and mix.
3. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Stir in the vanilla and rum, then add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
5. Sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the mix and stir it in.
6. Add the flour and then toss in the nuts on top. Stir both in together.
7. Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan.
8. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.

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Alternate Versions

Vegan Version

• 4 or 5 over-ripe bananas
• 1/3 c. margerine or vegan butter
• 3/4 c. raw sugar
• 1 flax egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp. rum
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

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¹ I used unsalted butter because, as a general rule, I don't keep salted butter on hand. I didn't find I missed the extra salt, but I'm sure it would be fine with salted butter (as Deb uses) if that's what you have easily to hand.<sup>Back

2</sup> I used all-purpose flour, but I think that pastry/plain/soft flour would work just fine for this recipe.^Back