Super Easy Banana Bread

This probably isn’t a great way to start, but I hate bananas. I can’t stand to eat a regular, peeled banana, but I always have a ton around the house because I force myself to eat them for the vitamins. As a result, many of these bananas get over-ripe and brown before I get around to choking down all that potassium. For some reason, however, I really love banana bread. I probably make it two or three times a month because it makes my whole apartment smell amazing, and all of the ingredients are usually already in my kitchen (i.e., those neglected and rapidly ripening bananas in the back of my fridge). It also requires very little in the way of effort and tastes delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 over-ripe bananas
• 3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 stick softened butter
• 1 cup sugar (brown or turbinado is best)
• 1 egg at room temperature
• Optional: Chopped nuts

PREPARATION:

You probably already have the dry ingredients lying around, so all you really need are these guys, plus yogurt.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, mix together the bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, mashing it all together with a fork to blend it. I’ve seen a lot of banana bread recipes call for sour cream, but I like to substitute Greek yogurt because it has less fat and I generally already have some in the fridge.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a hand mixer is fine), beat butter and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. I like to use a combo of 1/2 cup light brown sugar and 1/2 cup turbinado because I think it makes for a denser, more moist finished product. Using a full cup of only one of these would still taste great, but I suggest staying away from plain old white sugar because it will make the bread drier and lighter in color.

Now add the egg and mix just to incorporate it into the sugar and butter.

Next, add the banana mixture and stir just to blend. If you want to add nuts, this is the time to stir them in, too.

Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees in the middle rack of the oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. When done, let the pan cool on a wire rack or trivet for 10 minutes.

Then turn the pan upside down to release the bread, flip the bread back over, and slice. The finished product is moist and full of banana flavor, but not overly sweet. Great for breakfast, dessert, or anytime you want!

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