If you’re like me, you’ve struggled to achieve a golden-brown banana bread crust without leaving the center of the loaf underbaked. If so, this recipe is for you! After testing out and combining the best parts of several banana bread techniques, I’ve found my formula. Part of the magic is in the ingredient ratios and part is in the baking process. Come bake with me!
Ingredient List
In the past, my quest for a beautifully browned banana bread with a cracked crust and a moist, soft-crumb center was a disappointing journey. My efforts would yield either a blackened crust with a pleasing center, or a lovely golden crust with a soggy middle. I never knew if it was my oven or my recipe; but I could never achieve perfection both inside and out. Until now. This banana bread recipe and the way it is baked have resulted in the perfect loaf!
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup brown sugar
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 2/3 cups medium sized mashed bananas
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additions
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
You can play with quantities as long as when combined they equal ¾ cup.
Prep
- Chop walnuts to desired size
- Peel and mash bananas with a fork in a medium sized bowl
Equipment
- Mixer (countertop or hand-held)
- Oven set at 350 – place baking rack at the bottom of the oven
- 9×5 glass loaf pan greased with butter
Making Banana Bread Batter
Dry Ingredients
Measure flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir with a whisk until blended. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients
Soften butter in microwave, or if you have the time, leave on the countertop until it is at room temp.
Add butter and brown sugar to the mixer bowl. Beat until it is an even and smooth texture. Then, add eggs, one at a time, and mix each in until well blended.
Add Greek yogurt and mix again until fully incorporated
Add mashed bananas and vanilla mix until combined. The batter will be fairly loose at this time.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
Lastly, add the dry ingredients to the mixer on low until they are incorporated. It is not necessary to over-mix.
Additions
Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts until they are evenly distributed.
Baking Reliable Banana Bread
Pour the finished banana bread batter into the greased loaf pan. Use a spatula to scrape all the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
Place a tent of aluminum foil over the loaf pan and place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven on the bottom rack. Bake for 30 min.
At 30 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered.
The total bake time will be 60 minutes. Test the center with a pick (or I used a butter knife blade). If the loaf is under-baked, keep testing at 5 minute intervals until it is done.
Results
This recipe will yield a a loaf of banana bread with an even, golden crust and a moist soft-crumb center. If your oven is different than mine, you can experiment with adding a little more mashed banana if you’d like. These ratios and baking times, however, will definitely get you started on the right track if you have struggled with loaves that are overbaked on the outside and soggy on the inside. Enjoy!
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