Hubby is a huge fan of bananas. When he has a few bananas that did not get eaten before turning too soft, I turn them into banana bread for him. On this occasion, I made him 2 loaves… one plain and one with blueberries, which go very well with bananas.
Super Simple Banana Bread
½ c butter, softened to room temperature
1 c sugar (half brown; half white)(see Tips)
1½ c mashed bananas (3) (see Tips)
2 lg or x-lg eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c chopped pecans
2 c flour
1 tsp each: salt & baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c optional add-ins, such as mini chocolate chips, raisins, blueberries, or toffee bits
Use the back of a large spoon to cream the butter in a large bowl; then cream in the sugar, followed by the bananas, eggs, & vanilla. Then stir in the pecans and set aside. Sift dry ingredients together into a small bowl. Gently stir flour mixture into banana batter in two batches. Spoon into two greased & floured 5×7” loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 45 -50 minutes. A loaf is done when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the pans rest for 10 minutes before turning the loaves out onto wire racks to cool completely.
KISS Tips: I always replace sugar now with granulated monkfruit or coconut sugar, which work beautifully in breads. For a yummy topping, crush a favorite streusel square or nut cluster, such as those with pecans, mangos, coconut, etc. Also, if you need more bananas, you can substitute applesauce, sour cream, or even yogurt for the moisture. Try spooning half the batter into one loaf pan and adding ½ c add-ins to the other half of the batter before spooning into a 2nd pan. If using blueberries, frozen ones work beautifully. Simply keep them in the freezer until you a ready to use them to prevent your batter from turning blue.
