Too Good To Be True Banana Bread

Banana bread has always been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. Growing up, my dad didn’t make it often, but I could always count on him to make it at Thanksgiving. If he made it any other time it was such a treat! Naturally, when I got an oven of my own I was excited to be able to try my hand at baking my own.

The first time was horrendous. There was some kind of a nutmeg malfunction and I was pretty sure I had made some sort of dog food. They were bad… so, so bad.

But! I didn’t give up! I got a new cookbook and after a few tweaks to the recipe I am finally satisfied with what I think is probably the best banana bread in the world. It even has a sweet twist to it that makes it extra moist and overly delicious. In addition to it being so good, it is also nut-free and can be a vegan recipe with one minor alteration. My favorite part though? Making it with my little herd of humans! Win. Win. WIN. 

Too Good To Be True Banana Bread
You will need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten*
5 medium bananas, EXTRA ripe… black and on the verge of decay. Seriously.
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil

Optional: 1 bag of chocolate chips

Large mixing bowl
Hand masher
2 loaf pans, muffin tin, or 9×13 baking dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of preferred baking dish with method of choice. I go for the canola oil in a spray can. Set aside.
2. Peel all of the bananas and put them in the large mixing bowl. They should be very, very mushy and impossible to hold in your hands. Add the eggs*, sugar, and oil and begin to mash and mix. It is ok for the mixture to be a little lumpy.
3. In the same bowl, add the flour (I highly suggest adding 1 cup, mixing it in, then adding the second cup. Less mess!), then the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and chocolate chips if desired.
4. Carefully pour the mixture into the desired baking pan and bake as specified according to pan used. Your deliciousness is done when a fork inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Now the hardest part. WAIT at least 15 minutes to allow the bread to cool. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool before gorging.

PAN SIZE    |    BAKING TIME
9 x 13    |    10 minutes
7 ½ x 3 ½x 2    |    45 minutes (eternity)
2 ½ inch Muffin tin    |    15 to 20 minutes

*For an even moister cake, substitute 1 egg for ½ cup of apple sauce. To make vegan, substitute both eggs for 1 cup applesauce.

Please note that this is best enjoyed with family, friends, and good times. Happy Thanksgiving!