Banana bread is a home-made standard and the bread recipe most searched for on the Internet. Thanks to its simplicity, this basically foolproof loaf is usually one of the first recipes our mothers teach us how to bake. I love banana bread’s versatility. For this version, I added some chocolate chips and sweetened flaked coconut. I always add chopped pecans to my banana bread.
Banana bread took a while to come into its own. The fruit isn’t native to North America, so it wasn’t until the advent of refrigeration that bananas could feasibly be shipped here without going bad. But some time later, two things happened that helped create the banana bread we know today.
The financial disaster made wasting food unthinkable.
Even a rotten banana couldn’t be thrown out.
In 1929, the stock market crashed and plunged the United States into the Great Depression. The financial disaster made wasting food unthinkable. Even a rotten banana couldn’t be thrown out.
According to King Arthur Baking Company, it was at this time that “Royal and other baking powder/baking soda manufacturers began mass producing their products, making these chemical leaveners widely available nationwide for the first time.”
The need to do something with overripe bananas, combined with the ready availability of baking powder, inspired a rash of cookbook writers to create recipes for banana “quick bread,” ditching the yeast.
Soon, banana bread recipes—using mashed bananas as the main ingredient—became popular, appearing in cookbooks from Better Homes and Gardens, Pillsbury Flour, the United Fruit Company, a chief banana importer, and more.
Over time, home bakers have experimented with that basic invention in terms of ingredients and flavor. When trying new alterations to the bread, make sure to account for your new ingredient’s moisture. Banana bread is also not overly sweet, making it a great companion for coffee or tea. Enjoy a slice!
Ingredients
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup mashed bananas, 2 to 3 bananas
1/3 cup shortening or butter (I use either depending on what I have on-hand.)
5 Tbsp. milk
2 eggs
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup chocolate chips
Crumb topping
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together one cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add mashed banana, shortening or butter, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until blended, then on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add eggs and remaining flour; beat until blended. Stir in nuts, coconut and chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a greased 8x4x2-inch loaf pan and top with crumb mixture. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Since ovens can vary slightly, check your bread at 50 minutes.
Let the bread cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, remove it from the pan and let it cool thoroughly on a wire rack before slicing.
Crumb Topping
Ingredients
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
Directions
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add flour and salt. Using your hands, mix until large crumbs form. Sprinkle generously over your muffins or quick bread and bake.