Grandma’s Banana Bread

Grandma’s Banana Bread Ingredients

• Bananas are obviously an essential part of a classic banana bread recipe. For maximum sweetness and flavor, allow the bananas to go completely brown.
• Whole milk has a richer, fuller flavor than milk with less fat.
• Vanilla extract works with bananas to bring out more flavor. The banana flavor is heightened with the vanilla. If you want to prepare your own at home, make sure to check out my recipe for homemade vanilla extract.
• Baking powder is the magic ingredient in quickbreads that provides rise and the correct texture.
• Walnuts are a classic when it comes to banana bread. To ensure they have tremendous flavor, toast them before chopping and adding them to the batter. Toasting will highlight the flavor and help protect the texture of the nuts.

The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Grandma’s Banana Bread

Step 1: Mash the bananas – Peel each banana, removing any excess strings or very dark bruises. Using a fork, mash the bananas. Once mashed, scoop the banana into a measuring cup to ensure the correct amount has been achieved.

Step 2: Mix together the wet ingredients – In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Once melted, set it aside to cool slightly before adding it to the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the mashed banana, milk, and egg. Whisk these three ingredients together until incorporated. Then add the vanilla extract and sugar, and whisk these into the batter. Last, add in the slightly cooled melted butter and whisk until incorporated.

Step 3: Add in the dry ingredients – To the wet ingredients in the bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a whisk, mix together all of the ingredients, ensuring not to overmix. Separately, toast the walnuts, then chop them into roughly-sized pieces. Add ¾ of the chopped walnuts to the batter and fold them in until evenly distributed.

Step 4: Bake the bread – To a greased loaf pan, add the batter. Spread it out to ensure it is all in an even layer. To help the bread “crack” at the correct location, use a knife or spatula to create a divet lengthwise down the center of the bread. Sprinkle the top of the bread with the remaining chopped walnuts. Bake the bread in the preheated 350°F oven for 60-70 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool for an hour before serving.

Recipe Tips

• The more spotted and brown a banana peel is, the sweeter the banana will be. When choosing bananas for this recipe, opt for ones that are darker in color, resulting in sweeter, tastier bread. Since the bananas will be mashed and then baked, any light bruises do not need to be removed.
• When whisking together the wet ingredients, the mashed banana will create texture in the batter, preventing it from becoming completely smooth. This is completely fine and is exactly how the batter should look.
• When measuring out the flour, add the flour to a separate scoop and then add it to your measuring cup. Rather than pushing the measuring cup down into the flour, allowing it to fall into the measuring cup lightly will ensure that the flour is light in texture. Plus, it will ensure that too much is not added.
• When mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, do not overmix. Overmixing can cause the bread to become dry and coarse once baked. Instead, aim to slightly undermix the bread with just a few pockets of flour remaining.

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