I packed everything I own into this banana bread.
To say it's fantastic is an understatement.
You know how people
have a quest to find the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe? I
feel like the same can be said for banana bread. It's need to be
moist, yet not mushy. Golden brown, yet not burnt and dry.
It's a hard thing to
do!
Long ago, way back
in the beginning of my food blogging journey I stumbled upon a banana
bread recipe and tweaked it my own. Since that defining moment I've
made it a hundred times and have never, ever looked back.
People will say they
have the greatest recipe of all time and I'm proudly rolling my
eyes behind their back. You know why? Because they are lying.
I HAVE THE GREATEST
RECIPE OF ALL TIME.
And lucky for you
guys, I'm sharing it here today. I make this
bread anytime my bananas are turning to brown mush. Which isn't as
often as I'd like lately {the 20 month old gobbles down at least
one a day}.
When my four year
old has snack day at preschool this is the first thing she requests.
And guess what? Her teacher's eyes light up when we bring it
in as well. It is the recipe that everyone asks me to write down for
them and I'm okay with that – it's not a secret recipe, just a
great one.
Every once in awhile
I'll get wild and crazy and start throwing pieces of whatever into
the batter. The husband prefers it plain jane, but when I get the
chance I change it up. I'm all about stepping it up a notch.
One time it was
crushed up Reese's peanut butter cups. One time funfetti sprinkles.
And yes, even once, I slathered the top with Nutella and ate the
entire loaf over the course of two days with a fork attached to my
hip.
I've never claimed
to be a healthy food blogger {although I do have many recipes for
when a detox is needed}.
This time I pulled
everything out of the trunk {a.k.a my freezer} and threw it in
– mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, butterscotch chips and wait
for it – caramel bits. When this bread bakes everything melts and
comes together perfectly. Your house will smell like a French bakery
in Paris. I'm serious! A friend walked in my house when this was
baking and didn't want to leave until she knew what was in that oven
of mine.
Feel free to make
mini loafs with this batter or handy-dandy muffins for on the go. It
all works the same. I love to keep it traditional into two large
loafs. One for me and one for the kids. Or one for a friend and
one for me. Or one for me and one for preschool snacks.
But definitely,
always, one for ME.
And finally, this batter is awesome plain jane as well, without all the add-ins. In fact that is how I usually make it, just regular banana bread. So if you want to be boring, head that route.
Junk in the Trunk
Banana Bread
1 ½ sticks unsalted
butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup honey
2 eggs
3 large very ripe
bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking
soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup mini
chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch
chips
½ cup Kraft caramelbits
1 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat the oven
to 350 degrees.
2. Liberally grease
two loaf pans with cooking spray.
3. In a stand mixer
cream together butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs
one at a time, combining after each.
5. Stir in vanilla
and mashed bananas.
6. Sift together
flour, salt and baking soda. Alternately add in flour and
buttermilk, ending with the flour.
7. Fold in
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, caramel bits and pecans.
8. Pour batter into
the greased loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden
brown and toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out
clean.
9. Allow to cool,
remove from the pans and keep in an airtight container for the best
storage.
Now.....THIS
is my best loaf bread on my food blog, but I have many more that rank
right up there. Be sure to check out these popular ones as well:
