Mom's Banana Bread » EASY DELICIOUS FOODS

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Mom’s Banana Bread

March 5, 2019
Recipe By: Heather Kelley

My nephew describes this bread as award winning. Although it’s never been entered into a competition, I think he’s on to something…

Prep Time10 min
Cook Time45 min
Total Time55 min
Serves2 Loaves

Ingredients

1/2 C Olive Oil
1 1/3 C Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Large Ripe Bananas
2 TBS Milk
2-1/4 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Nutmeg (optional but highly recommended)

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F.

With nonstick spray, spray one regular sized loaf pan and set aside.

In a mixer or using a hand mixer, combine the olive oil, sugar, and eggs. Beat on high for 1 minute.

Add the bananas and milk and mix on high for a minute, leaving some small clumps of banana.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on low until incorporated.

Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan.

Put into the oven at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Then, turn the oven down to 325 degrees F, and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes. It should be a rich dark brown color when it’s done.

Check for the doneness of your loaf by using a plastic knife or chopstick to check. I use my kids Ikea plastic knifes. Poke the knife in the center of the loaf all the way to the bottom of the pan and bring it out. If the loaf is done there will be little to no batter on the knife. If batter comes out on both sides of the knife it needs more time to cook.

Don’t skip the nutmeg. It may seem like a small and insignificant ingredient, but I assure you that there is a big difference with and with out it.

My nephew describes this bread as award winning. Although it's never been entered into a competition, I think he's on to something...

I think one of the main reasons that this is such a great loaf, besides it’s crunchy outer layer and smooth fluffy center, is the amount of nutmeg that it uses. I mention several times in my recipe above to not leave this ingredient out because it really separates it from every other banana loaf that I’ve ever eaten. The marriage between the nutmeg and the banana was pre-determined from the beginning of time. That’s a really deep way of saying that these two flavors were “MFEO – Made For Each Other”. Sleepless in Seattle anyone?

Let this bread welcome you into my childhood!

I had the best mom growing up. A lot of people might say that about their moms, but if we had a contest, mine would win. That may sound a bit braggy, but props where props are due. Anyway, my mom would make my siblings and me some amazing things when we were kids. A few to mention were homemade graham crackers, fresh bread, delicious bran muffins (yes that is possible) and this amazingly delicious and surprisingly simple banana bread.

Now this recipe calls one giant loaf like the one in my pictures, but if you want to cut down cooking time you can make the bread in muffin tins, or divide them into two loaf pans. You’ll have to adjust the cooking time a bit. If you are making muffins, then cook for 20 minutes at 350 F., then 5-10 minutes at 325 F. If you are making smaller loaves then bake for 30 minutes at 350 F., and 5-10 minutes on 325 F.

Oh No! My loaf sank?! What do I do???

If your loaf sank it could be because of a few reasons. The first reason being that you checked it too soon and it hadn’t cooked long enough to create the support it needed so it collapsed. A good rule of thumb is to give any loaf or batter at least 20 minutes before checking on it. This will give it time to raise and cook through to give it some stability. The second reason being is that it needed more flour. Pay attention to your batter next time and see if it needs more bulk to keep it sturdy while it rises. You may have to play with it a few times, but once you understand what your batter is supposed to look like, you will be able to create a perfect loaf every time. Remember to keep your batter consistency right in the middle of thin and thick, erring on the side of thick. What this means is, banana bread batter isn’t like a typical loaf of bread that you knead and let rise. It’s going to have a runny consistency, but just make sure that that consistency isn’t too runny. If you have some doubt, add a bit more flour. You can apply this same rule to muffins and cake batter. Yay!