This banana bread recipe was one of the first things I learned to bake on my own way back in high school. My mom kept a yellowed handwritten recipe of my grandmother’s tacked to her bulletin board in the kitchen. I was instructed not to lose it. Only later did I realize it was one of the few things she had left in my grandmother’s handwriting. The original recipe was actually my great grandmother’s. She wasn’t known for her skills in the kitchen, and this is the only recipe that seems to have been passed down. It is a simple recipe that just works reliably well. More than a decade later , I still make this it all the time (with my additions of vanilla and cinnamon). I like that there is no butter in it making it reasonably healthy. This also allows me to justify slathering a slice with butter when it is still warm from the oven.
Banana Bread
Ingredients
3 (over) ripe bananas
1/2- 3/4 cups sugar (the less ripe the bananas, the more sugar you will need)
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour (I often replace one of the cups with whole wheat flour)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Mash the bananas in a large bowl and add the sugar. The sugar will help liquefy the mixture. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla and then sift in the dry ingredients. Still until evenly combined. Bake in a greased a floured loaf pan at 325 for about 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to stand and cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.