Banana bread is the food of the procrastinator. It’s the very essence of not being wasteful with what you were too remiss to use in its prime, of making something out of what would otherwise be garbage. That’s why, as someone who chose her place of higher education based on who was still accepting applications in mid-April, it’s one of my favorites. There aren’t many foods where, after you forget they’re still there and they’ve gone brown and kind of slimy and horrible looking, you can still a) use them and b) make them even better than their original form.
I don’t know where this recipe came from…well, I do (my mom), but she thinks it’s Joy of Cooking. The banana bread recipe in my copy and the ones that come up when I google “joy of cooking banana bread” don’t match up ingredient-wise, so I can’t source this other than to say it’s not mine, and I know it’s old school because I copied it off an index card and the original instructions said to bake in a “moderate” oven which forced me to frantically call my mother to ask what the hell a “moderate” oven was (socially liberal but fiscally conservative? Voted for Joe Lieberman?).
Regardless of this banana bread’s middle-leaning proclivities, it’s pretty much a no-fail endeavor. Until recently, I’ve always baked it as a loaf, but now I prefer it in muffin form for its increased giftability (I am currently playing the role of Wells Fargo wagon to the rotating band of misfits that are continually moving into/out of my building). Either way, it’s always delicious, and makes a perfect breakfast, snack, or gift.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 ripe bananas
- 3 Tbsp milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners (or grease and flour a loaf pan) and set aside.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat oil and sugar together. Add eggs and bananas and beat well. Add the sifted dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin cups (or pour into loaf pan).
- If making muffins, bake 22-24 minutes, until tops spring back lightly when touched.
- If making a loaf, bake for 50-55 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
love recipes like this. I went through the same type of thing when Sadieann gave me the recipe for Suppa Inglaise…directions like “pour into tube pan and bake” Didn’t say for how long or what temp. But in cases like this I usually go with the old stand by 350˚ until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean! 🙂 These look yummy and since I have bananas on my counter, I think I may be making them in the next few days since Chris won’t eat them once they even slightly start to brown. 🙂