American · Dessert · All year
Banana Bread
4.6 · community
15m
Prep
60m
Cook
Beginner
Level
320
Energy
The loaf that redeems black bananas: deeply sweet, walnut-studded, and better on day two. The uglier the banana, the better the bread.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
10
Before you start
Mise en place
Equipment
Mixing bowls
Whisk
Baking pan
Prep checklist
Banana — seriously overripe
Butter — melted
Walnuts — toasted, chopped
4 steps
Method
1
Mash the bananas to a rough purée; whisk in melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
2
Fold in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and the walnuts — stop at the last streak of flour.
Why this works
Quick breads punish enthusiasm: overmixing builds gluten, and gluten makes rubber.
3
Bake in a lined loaf tin at 175°C until a skewer comes out clean, 55–65 minutes; tent with foil if the top browns early.
60 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
Cool in the tin 15 minutes, then on a rack. It slices cleaner — and tastes deeper — tomorrow.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Covered at cool room temperature 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5.
Freezing
Freezes brilliantly, whole or in slices, for 3 months. Toaster slices are the move.
Reheating
Most baked desserts revive in a 150°C oven for 5–8 minutes. Custards and mousses are served cold — never reheat.
Make ahead
Almost every dessert here is better made a day ahead — flavors settle and textures set. Add crisp toppings just before serving.
Wine pairing
A small glass of something sweeter than the dessert itself.
Beer pairing
An imperial stout alongside chocolate is a genuinely great pairing; otherwise coffee.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Softly whipped cream
A scoop of vanilla ice cream
Fresh berries
Garnish
Powdered sugar
Chocolate shavings
A few flakes of sea salt
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
5
Salty
1
Sour
1
Bitter
1
Umami
0
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
320
kcal
5g
protein
46g
carbs
14g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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