Banana bread is among the most nostalgic baked goods. Every family has their recipe, but absolutely no one can beat the way your own mom makes it. Recently, I attempted three banana recipes: peanut butter chocolate chip banana bars, gluten-free banana bread, and the holy grail: my mother’s banana bread recipe. As a consequence of measuring with the heart (as opposed to tablespoons), I made some pretty avoidable baking blunders while recipe testing. However, when you accurately follow these recipes, they are wildly delicious! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

(Alternatively dubbed the “Zoe bars” as an ode to the friend who showed me this recipe)

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 cup peanut butter  
• 1/3 cup almond flour (can be substituted 1:1 for all-purpose flour)  
• 1/3 cup honey 
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup or 240 grams chocolate chips (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Line an 8”x8” pan with parchment paper.
3. To mashed bananas, add peanut butter, almond flour, honey, egg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well-mixed. (If you have particularly large bananas, add 2–3 tablespoons extra flour. The batter should be runny, but not too liquid.)
4. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Sprinkle flaky salt on top while still hot.
6. Let cool completely before slicing and digging in.

Bake-At-Your-Own-Risk Notes

There are health benefits to almond flour, but I use regular flour because it’s what I have on hand. If you have a particularly sweet tooth, do not be afraid to go heavy on the honey. (I usually add 2 tablespoons more.) 

 

My Mom’s Banana Bread

Many have tried, but none have succeeded in dethroning her title of Banana Bread Queen.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup milk 
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon vanilla (whatever your heart desires)
• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix sugar and butter until combined, as fluffy and airy as possible.
3. Add eggs, bananas, milk, and vanilla to batter and mix until smooth.
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt—be careful to not over-mix the batter!
5. Add chocolate chips or nuts, if using.
6. Grease the bottoms of the pans only.
7. Baking time varies; check to see if a toothpick can go cleanly in and out.

Note that the batter will fit in two 8 and 1/2” by 4 and 1/2” loaf pans, one 9” x 5” pan, or a muffin tin. 8” loaves should bake for around 1 hour. 9” loaves should bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes. Large muffins should bake for around 45 minutes. Small muffins should bake for around 20 mins.

Bake-At-Your-Own-Risk Notes

You can go over the cup amount of bananas! Use 4–5 large bananas, according to my mother, and fully browned bananas are honestly ideal—the softer and sweeter they are, the better. You can also substitute regular milk for buttermilk to make your bread softer and fluffier, and optionally add cinnamon to the batter for a slightly spiced flavor.

Going Gluten-Free

• Substitute regular flour for gluten-free flour at a 1:1 ratio. (My aunt recommends Bob Red Mills’ gluten-free flour.)
• Gluten-free recipes tend to require more moisture, so go heavier with the milk or bananas.
• Gluten-free flours can have a slightly different flavor, so feel free to go heavy on the vanilla or cinnamon.
• Mix the batter for slightly longer to fully incorporate the gluten-free flour.
• Increase the baking time to account for the extra moisture added to in the batter. Don’t be afraid to bake slightly beyond when the toothpick comes out clean, this will ensure your bread will hold its light and fluffy texture once cooled!

Chantal Dunn can be reached at cadunn@wesleyan.edu.