We’re back baby! Well… I suppose I wasn’t gone, I just lost my muse for about 6 months. I needed to come back to the table so to speak with a big one. Not just some recipe that I found on the internet that struck my fancy. No, I needed something that harkened back to why I started this website; something that reminded me of why I cook, and something that really meant something to me. The result of that query was this: my Mom’s banana bread recipe. I remember distinctly the aroma that would fill the air when this little piece of heaven was in the oven. Sometimes it was in the morning, before we would wake up, and sometimes it was while we were doing homework, before getting ready for bed. Either way, the wonderful smell was always a welcome sign of good things to come. I’m not sure how far back my memory of this banana bread goes, but it’s one of those things that feels like a constant; like it was always there. Of coarse looking back at the source of the recipe, I found that it must have had a start sometime when one of us was learning to read, because the recipe came from an alphabet cookbook.
The page is torn and wrinkled, there is an oil stain next to a colorful picture of bananas, the book seems permanently opened to this page as the rest of the book is curved back from being folded open. Many signs of love and heavy use show evidence of just how many times this bread was made throughout my childhood. B is for Banana Bread.
I’ve made this recipe many times on my own since moving out, but always found that my electric oven wasn’t up to par with the gas one I grew up with. The solution to my sunken loafs was to ditch the bread pan and opt for smaller, easier to share muffins! I hope you enjoy my slight tweak to this classic, and give it a try yourself!
Banana Bread Muffins
Wisps of baked goods fill the air as this home made classic takes on a new shape
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (3 large)
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (or nuts if you're a heathen)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp vanilla (the good vanilla)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350F
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Grease muffin pan(s) with pam (I use two at a time to cut down on cook time)
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Mix sugar, bananas, oil, and eggs in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Once combined, add the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.
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Fill each cup of the muffin pans about 3/4 full using a spoon.
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Bake for 25 minutes (or until golden brown on the top) check for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the top of one of the muffins. If it comes out clean, they are ready. Allow to cool on a cooling rack before enjoying.
Recipe Notes
I usually double this recipe when I make it so that I can bring some to work to share with my coworkers, so feel free to do the same! Side note: if you've never made banana bread before, you won't want to use fresh, yellow bananas for this recipe. I usually toss my bananas that have started to turn brown in the freezer, then take them out when I have about 6 in there. Yes, they will look all brown and nasty, but that's exactly the type of banana you want to use for banana bread!