Anyways, this is the best banana bread recipe ever. (no really.. it is.) Its easy to make different ways too! For instance: banana bread loaf, banana muffins, mini banana muffins, mini loafs... depending on what you are wanting it for. :) Also can be made with or without nuts. For this post, I am doing mini muffins. And here is why:
I live with 3 roommates (one that does not like nuts). We all work full time time jobs, and some of us work 2 or 3 jobs. So eating in a hurry is sorta a necessary around here. I make this little muffins, and if they last past the night I bake them (usually they don't), you can put 4 or 5 in a plastic sandwich baggie and either keep them in the fridge, or freeze them. So when everyone is rushing to get off to work and need a breakfast-to-go, they can take out a baggie, open the seal and microwave for 20-30 seconds, and off they go. Its that easy.
For banana bread, you will get the best flavor out of a brown- spotted banana. The brown spots are actually the natural sugars from the banana and will greatly enhance the flavor of your bread, and make it naturally sweeter. :)
3-4 brown-spotted bananas
1 cup sugar (for not as sweet bread, you can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup melted margarine or butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour
chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
Use a baking spray (or liners if you prefer) and coat your baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, mash up your bananas. I found that a potato masher works best for me. Get out all those lumps. Add sugar, margarine, egg, and vanilla to bananas. Use a spoon to stir. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture and stir in. Then mix in your flour. Your batter will be a little lumpy from the flour.. and that is a-ok. :)
I sprinkled chopped pecans on top of (most of) my mini muffins. Leaving a few without nuts for my weird roommate. :P
For mini muffins: bake for 10-12 minutes, rotate them halfway through baking
For regular muffins: bake 15-20 minutes, rotate them halfway through baking
For Loaf: 45-50 minutes, also rotate a couple times during baking.
And there it is. I feel as if I just shared a huge secret to the people that know me. This is super easy, and delicious, and possibly one of my all time favorite things to make. I hope you guys try this recipe! Please, let me know how it goes for you!! :)
-Jenni