Earlier this year, I published a post on making banana bread using the classic Betty Crocker recipe. That recipe makes two loaves and uses buttermilk.

There are dozens of banana bread recipes, so I thought I would post another one. Why? Because this one is as simple as it gets and uses the most basic of ingredients. It is very likely that just about anyone who cooks will have the ingredients to make this single-loaf recipe.

In our home, bananas can be discarded when they are overripe. Turning them into banana bread transforms trash into treasure. A nice, thick slice can serve as a to-go breakfast. If you are single, it is easy to make a loaf and then freeze individual portions for breakfast, dessert, or a mid-afternoon coffee break.

You can dress up this recipe in a variety of ways. I added a little vanilla. Other add-ons like a handful of chocolate chips, walnuts, or dried cranberries are delicious. How about a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice? Want your own signature bread? Brown the butter or use brown sugar instead of white sugar. Want to make the recipe as simple as possible? Just follow the standard recipe. This recipe is from AllRecipes.com. Ready? Let’s go!

Oven Temp: 325F or 160C

Mash the bananas. I’m using a hand mixer, but you can use a mixing spoon if that is all that you have.

Add the melted butter, sugar, and egg. I’m also adding around 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Mix it all up.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking soda. Note: Use baking soda, not baking powder; they are two different products.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.

Mix just until combined. You will have a thick batter. Then add the salt.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the salt.

Pour into a greased 4″ x 8″ baking pan. If you have a slightly larger loaf pan, that is OK; the loaf will just be a bit flatter. Bake at 325F for 1 hour. My oven can run hot, so I checked it after 45 minutes. The bread looked baked, but inserting a knife into the center showed it was still raw inside.

The top was already browning, and to prevent it from burning before the center was done, I covered the pan with aluminum foil and returned it to the oven.

I set a timer for 10 additional minutes and checked again… still raw in the center. It actually took about 25 additional minutes before it was fully baked. Here is the finished bread cooling on a cooking rack. It is important to test the bread to make sure that it is done. Normally, my oven bakes things a bit faster, but in this case, it took a bit longer. By checking the center with a knife, I made sure that the bread was completely baked.

There you have it, the simplest banana bread recipe that I know of. Remember, you can do any of the above additions to make it even more special. Don’t have an oven? I have a friend who makes a delicious banana bread in his rice cooker! If there is a will, there is a way.

Bon Appétit!

Mike