Banana bread is a classic one-bowl recipe that comes together with just a few ingredients. Plus, it is flavorful, has the right sweetness, is easy to whip up, and pairs well with a cup of hot, steaming coffee. What’s more, it’s packed with fiber, potassium, and other essential nutrients that are good for the gut. Depending on the ingredients in one’s pantry, one can try out variations of the classic banana bread recipe.
Chocolate chip banana bread
This is an easy recipe, perfect for those trying to make banana bread for the first time. It requires a few ingredients and tastes delectable. The ingredients required to make this super moist banana bread include brown sugar, baking soda, vanilla, flour, yogurt, overripe bananas, an egg, baking powder, butter, and chocolate chips. The overripe bananas must be extremely soft, almost squishy, and brown. The riper they are, the sweeter the dish will be.
First, mash the bananas properly until they look semi-liquid before adding some yogurt, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, chocolate chips, and soft butter. Mix these properly and then add the dry ingredients, i.e., flour and baking powder. One can also add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a pronounced chocolaty flavor. Ensure that all the ingredients are well mixed and no clumps are visible. That said, avoid overmixing the ingredients, as that will make the bread dense instead of fluffy and moist.
Once the mix is ready, transfer it to a parchment-lined loaf pan. Place the pan in the oven for baking, and bake till the center is fully cooked. To check, insert a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick is coated, pop the cake for a few more minutes; if the toothpick is clean, remove the pan and let it cool before serving with a cup of coffee.
Vegan banana bread
This banana bread is moist, light, healthy, and delicious and uses vegan-friendly ingredients. Instead of eggs and milk, this dish uses a flaxseed egg and vegan buttermilk. For a rich, nutty flavor, one can also add almond, hazelnut, soy, or oat milk. Those who can’t get their hands on vegan butter can opt for vegetable oil. Instead of regular all-purpose flour, one can use almond flour to make it keto and paleo-friendly. Almond flour contains even greater fiber content than regular flour.
To make the banana bread, mash a couple of ripe bananas—the riper, the better. To this, add all the dry ingredients together, including a pinch of baking powder and baking soda. One can add a pinch of sea salt to bring out the flavors.
Grease the loaf pan, add the batter, and pop it into the oven till cooked properly. Once done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing it up and serving with a cup of hot chocolate.
Walnut banana bread
This standard banana bread recipe variation makes for a wonderful breakfast or snack because of how nourishing it is. Additionally, one can prepare it in a large batch and enjoy it multiple times throughout the week.
The ingredients needed for walnut banana bread include a few ripe and large-sized bananas, vegetable oil, two large eggs, brown or coconut sugar, two cups of whole wheat flour, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a teaspoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a cup of chopped walnuts.
Preheat the oven to around 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, mash the ripe bananas with a fork and add oil, eggs, and sugar until well combined. Then, add the dry ingredients and the chopped walnuts. One can even add some chocolate chips to bring out the flavor of the walnuts.
Pour the batter into a non-stick bread pan and place it in the oven till fully cooked. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving it with a side of yogurt and fruits for a wholesome breakfast option.
Spiced dulce de leche banana bread
The dulce de leche gives this banana bread its rich, creamy, and milky notes. Additionally, it adds a delightful caramel flavor to the already delicious dish. The ingredients needed for this recipe are oil, half a teaspoon of baking soda, all-purpose flour, some kosher salt, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, some ground nutmeg, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, a bunch of chopped medium-ripe bananas, 3/4 cup of dulce de leche, two large eggs, and around 1/3 cup of melted unsalted butter.
Preheat the oven to around 350°F. Till then, lightly spritz a loaf pan with some oil. The first part of the cooking process involves combining the dry ingredients, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. After setting this aside, combine the sugar, bananas, and dulce de leche in a separate bowl. Mix all the ingredients and transfer to the pan before placing it in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes. Serve the moist banana bread with a steaming cup of coffee to cut through the dulce’s sweetness.
