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Rolling Sauce

Classic Banana Bread

A moist, lightly spiced banana bread with walnuts — simple, one-bowl, and exactly the kind of loaf that tastes like it's been made a hundred times before.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Banana Bread
  • - 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • - ½ cup + 1 tablespoon 130 g softened butter
  • - ¾ cup 150 g brown sugar
  • - 1 pinch salt
  • - 1 large egg
  • - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • - 1¼ cups 160 g all-purpose flour
  • - 2 teaspoons 10 g baking powder
  • - 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • - 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • - 1 pinch ground cloves
  • - 1 pinch ground ginger
  • - 1 handful chopped walnuts plus extra for topping

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a standard loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. Add the softened butter and brown sugar, and mix until well combined.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and stir until evenly incorporated.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Mix until just combined - don't overmix. Fold in most of the chopped walnuts, saving a handful for the top.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the surface.
  6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
  7. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

  • Storage: Keeps at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Freezes well, whole or sliced, for up to 3 months.
  • Make ahead: Bake and freeze ahead - sliced pieces can go straight from the freezer to the toaster.
  • Swap: Pecans work in place of walnuts, or leave out the nuts entirely. For a chocolate version, add 25g cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and fold in a handful of chopped dark chocolate along with the walnuts.