It’s heavier and denser, with a crumb that’s pretty standard on the upper half but denser on the bottom. It’s how I like it. I was tired of tea cake banana breads or finely crumbed versions that didn’t deliver on the big banana flavor and brown sugar molasses vibes. This one suits me just perfectly. And I think the nutmeg and dry ginger works wonders here.
Banana Bread, But Better
Ingredients
5 very ripe bananas, mashed (frozen, defrosted drained bananas are fine)
1 ripe banana split lengthwise in 3rds
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, plus a smidge
2 tablespoons molasses plus a smidge
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
Mash the bananas. They should yield about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups. Stir in the melted butter, molasses, and brown sugar until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract and yogurt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, stirring until just combined.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Lay the sliced banana across the top of the bread. Bake in the preheated oven for 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. If your oven runs hot, if the bread is too high in the oven or if the top is browning too quickly for any reason, you can always tent with aluminum foil.
Remove from oven and let it sit in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
