The Best Banana Bread

Tom
Jun 13
2 min read

This banana bread is rich, moist, packed with flavor and took me over 10 years to fully develop—I use little red bananas as the secret ingredient. I love using them for their extra sweetness and hint of raspberry and flavor, which adds a subtle twist to the classic loaf. Feel free to swap in whatever mix-ins you love best—I’ve even used berries before!

Ingredients: Banana Bread

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup (~190g) light brown sugar

• 1 cup (~190g) white sugar

• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (5-6 little red ones or 4 yellow)

• 113g butter (browned)

• 1tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup any greek yogurt (~60g)

• 315g self-raising flour (or use 315g all purpose + 16g baking powder)

• Pinch of salt (1-2g)

• 1/2tsp cardamom

• 1/2tsp nutmeg

• 1tsp cinnamon

• 130g white chocolate chips

• 130g pecans (chopped)

Process: Browned Butter

Cut the 113g of butter into smaller pieces. Place in a light-colored pan over medium heat so you can see the color change clearly. Let it melt, then stir occasionally as it foams and sizzles—watch closely for golden brown specks forming at the bottom and a nutty aroma, which means it’s ready. Immediatley remove from heat to prevent burning and pour into a heatproof bowl to cool slightly before using.

Process: Banana Bread

Set oven to 325F (160°C). Grease an 11x8-inch (28x20 cm) baking pan or a bread loaf pan and line with parchment. Since the bread is rich with moist ingredients, I prefer using a wider pan then the bread loaf to ensure a better, more even bake.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and whisk in the butter.

Add eggs, light brown and white sugar, yogurt and vanilla then whisk together until smooth.

Add the flour and spices, then gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Add the white chocolate and pecans, and fold a few more times until evenly distributed. Reserve 1-2tbsp of each.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Gently scatter the leftover white chocolate and pecans.

Bake ~1 hour at 160C. To check for doneness insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Cool 30 minutes-1 hour before consumption.