Easy banana bread recipe for a delicious homemade snack kids and adults will love

Delicious yet super easy banana bread recipe. No baking experience or special equipment needed for this simple recipe for banana bread, the perfect accompaniment to tea and great kid-friendly snack

Overripe bananas are the bane of my existence. My husband brings home crazy high numbers of bananas each week because, he says, ‘we will use them in smoothies’, ‘the kids like them’… And sure, both these reasons sound very convincing, if it wasn’t for a teeny tiny detail: neither thing is true!

While I have nothing against smoothies, the reality is that we never make them and when it comes to the kids, only 50% of them would bite into a banana.

While my son loves them, my daughter detests them so the overall result is bunches of bananas turning black into the fruit bowl, attracting fruit flies and filling my house with a small of banana that I can tell you, no house has ever benefited from.

So today I decided to take matters in my own hands and put those sweet bananas to good use making banana bread.

The recipe for banana bread is, as you have probably guessed, not originally from Ireland. However, I have discovered banana bread here and, over the course of the years, I have noticed it becoming more and more popular.

So popular, in fact, the Irish times even called it ‘very nearly Ireland’s new national dish’ (yep, you read that right, you can read the article here!

Indeed, banana bread is delicious with tea and I have had it often at friends’ places, along with the truly traditional Irish apple cake, when we sip on super hot cups of teas while the kids play.

One of these friends is also the source for the easy banana bread recipe I share here today.

This is a super easy, fluffy banana bread recipe that you can use as such or modify to your taste adding, for instance, chopped walnuts instead of almonds or even throwing in some chocolate chips.

What you need for this banana bread recipe

This recipe doesn’t require any special equipment, not even an electric mixer. You do, however, need a loaf pan /bread tin/cake tin: for the amounts used in this recipe, I used a medium-size one, 9x5in

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How long does it take to make banana bread from scratch?

Very little. I find it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and about 1h to cook.

Can I make banana bread in advance? How long does banana bread keep?

I love to eat banana bread when it is nice and fluffy just out of the oven but you can bake in in advance and even freeze it.

Banana bread lasts on the counter for up to 3 days: each day it tends to lose a little moisture but if you cover it with cling film and a kitchen towel, you won’t’ notice much of a difference.

If you freeze it, it lasts up to about 3 months.

The best way to freeze banana bread is whole, once it is perfectly cooled (this is the most important thing): I usually wrap it in tin foil, then place it ins a zip log bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and place in the freezer.

Super easy to freeze and as easy to thaw: you can do that on the counter or the oven and the bread is ready again to be served, as new!

Banana bread ingredients

• 3 Ripe bananas
• 60 gr Butter
• 180 gr Brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 200 gr Flour
• 15gr Baking powder
• Vanilla extract
• Chopped nuts of choice: a handful

How to make banana bread: the process

Start the over and bring it to about 180C.

Take a large bowl and slice the bananas into it. Add the butter, softened or fully melted, and mix well using a fork or a potato masher to mash the bananas and a wooden spoon to create a nice, even mixture.

Add the brown sugar and mix well.

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In a separate bowl, beat two eggs and add to the mixture then add the nuts, if using, and add slowly the flour, the baking powder and a couple of drops of vanilla extract.

Mix well: the result will be a sticky, heavy dough.

Take your tin and butter up its bottom and sides very thoroughly. Pour in your mixture and bake it for about 60 mins or so. It will be ready when the outside is dark brown and a toothpick can pierce the center of the cake and come out clean.

Leave the banana bread to cool in its tin for about 10 mins on a wire rack (this will make the cake easier to come out), then take off the tin and serve hot or cold.

Easy banana bread recipe: printable version

Easy delicious banana bread recipe

Print

Very easy to make, delicious banana bread recipe: the perfect treat for a tea party, a kids snack or simple breakfast bread for the whole family.

This simple recipe is excellent to use overripe bananas that are too sweet and mushy to eat on their own.

It requires no baking skills and hardly any equipment, making it perfect for beginners bakers or to just have fun cooking with the kids. Banana bread is perfect for breakfast, afternoon snack and tea party treat. It also keeps well and you can even freeze it, then thaw at room temperature or in the oven. Delicious hot or cold, in all seasons!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Ripe bananas
• 60 gr Butter
• 180 gr Brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 200 gr Flour
• 15gr Baking powder
• Vanilla extract
• Chopped nuts of choice: a handful

Instructions

1. Start the over and bring it to about 180C.
   
2. Take a large bowl and slice the bananas into it. Add the butter, softened or fully melted, and mix well using a fork or a potato masher to mash the bananas and a wooden spoon to create a nice, even mixture
   
3. Add the brown sugar and mix well.
   
4. In a separate bowl, beat two eggs and add to the mixture then add the nuts, if using, and add slowly the flour, the baking powder and a couple of drops of vanilla extract.
5. Mix well: the result will be a sticky, heavy dough.
   
6. Take your tin and butter up its bottom and sides very thoroughly. Pour in your mixture and bake it for about 60 mins or so. It will be ready when the outside is dark brown and a toothpick can pierce the center of the cake and come out clean.
   
7. Leave the banana bread to cool in its tin for about 10 mins on a wire rack (this will make the cake easier to come out), then take off the tin and serve hot or cold.

Notes

heat the over up to 180C