Description
Moist and delicious banana bread made with ripe bananas, Greek yogurt, and a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. Optional walnuts or pecans add a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2–3 medium)
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt (non-fat, low-fat, or full-fat all work)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add Eggs: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add Vanilla: Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mash Bananas: In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the Greek yogurt, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in Bananas: Gently fold in the mashed bananas until evenly distributed.
- Add Nuts (Optional): If using, fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Pour into Pan: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake: Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool in Pan: Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Cool on Rack: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use overripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture.
- Don’t overmix the batter to avoid a tough bread.
- For a chocolatey twist, add ½ cup of chocolate chips.
- Experiment with different spices like cardamom or ginger.
- To make muffins, pour the batter into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Banana bread freezes well. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Substitute sour cream or plain yogurt for Greek yogurt.
- Omit nuts for a nut-free version or substitute with seeds.
- Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum for a gluten-free option.
- Make it vegan by substituting butter with vegan butter, eggs with flax eggs, and ensuring your sugar is vegan-friendly.
- Troubleshooting:
- Sinking in the middle: Measure baking soda accurately, bake longer, avoid opening the oven.
- Dry: Avoid overbaking, measure flour accurately, use ripe bananas.
- Gummy: Cool completely, measure mashed banana accurately.
- Not rising: Use fresh baking soda, cream butter and sugar properly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes