Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I will just be making this one post this week, and taking the rest of the week off from blogging to spend time with family, cook, fall cleaning, shopping, and decorating for Christmas. Yes, including spring cleaning, I also do fall, winter, and summer. I realized I had not shared my favorite banana bread recipe with everyone. This is adapted from the better homes and gardens cookbook, my go to cookbook. I love to make my favorite recipes around the holidays. Banana bread is a family favorite great for breakfast, snacking, and dessert topped with delicious vanilla ice cream. Be sure to use over ripe bananas. A few times I have been too impatient, and the bread is not as flavorful. This recipe includes an additional streusal topping that makes this banana bread special. You can also add miniature chocolate chips for variety. I always use the miniature chocolate chips in breads and cakes to makes sure they don’t sink to the bottom.
For the bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed over-ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, roasted, optional
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips, optional
For the Streusel-Nut Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, roasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a nonstick cooking spray or wipe with an oil, the inside of a loaf pan. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In another large bowl combine eggs, mashed banana, sugar, and oil. Then add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until combined, batter will be lumpy. Stir in optional nuts and chocolate. Pour batter into loaf pan. If using the streusal topping, combine the sugar and flour in a bowl, and cut in the butter until the mixture is grainy. Add nuts and chocolate chips if using. Then add the streusal topping.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until dark golden brown, or until bread passes the toothpick test. Let cool before slicing.