As much as I love light, fruity desserts during the hot summer months sometimes I just want something homey that reminds me of being a kid! This banana bread is dense and moist with delicious banana flavor. Double the recipe because this will not last (and it tastes even better the next day!)
The Recipe
by volume by weight
4 ripe bananas 480 grams bananas
2 large eggs 136 grams eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil 112 grams vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream 115 grams sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla 12 grams vanilla
1¼ cups sugar 246 grams sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda 9 grams baking soda
1¾ cups all purpose flour 210 grams all purpose flour
Directions
Heat the oven to 325F and line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment paper. Your bananas should be at least as ripe as these to give maximum banana flavor.
Mash the bananas coarsely with a fork so that there are still visible pieces of banana.
Add the eggs, sugar, oil, sour cream, and vanilla and mix to thoroughly combine. Stir in the baking soda and flour and mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the pan. The pan will be quite full and that is fine. This banana bread rises slightly but it will not change dramatically in size.
Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes until the top springs back to the touch.
Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove from the pan and peel off the paper.
Alternatives
I use sour cream in this banana bread to make it especially moist and I love the tang that sour cream gives to balance the sweetness of the bananas. If you would rather not use sour cream, plain yogurt will also work well.
This banana bread can also be baked in muffin tins to make banana muffins or baked in an 8 inch square pan and iced to make a delicious snack cake. (Try cream cheese icing!)
You can also add nuts if you like – walnuts or pecans are particularly good choices.
