This Bread is Bananas
Yep, the whole banana, peel and all. This version is also insanely better than regular banana bread—denser and moister. This recipe is adapted with permission from Cook More, Waste Less: Zero-Waste Recipes to Use Up Groceries, Tackle Food Scraps, and Transform Leftovers, by Christine Tizzard (Appetite by Random House, 2021)
Ingredients
- 2 overripe, bruised bananas, including peels
- ½ cup butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins:
- ½–1 cup chocolate or dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped nuts and/or seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line or grease a loaf pan. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Peel bananas and roughly chop peels. Simmer peels in boiling water for 5 minutes and then drain; rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar together until incorporated, light and fluffy.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour with baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Using a blender or food processor, blend bananas, peels, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Slowly beat banana mixture into the butter mixture until incorporated. Beat in flour mixture until combined. Stir in any optional add-ins.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature, a week in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
Notes
Food 911: Apple slices can keep your baked goods and breads moist. Just cozy up a few slices in a sealed container with any extra baked goods you have to prevent them from going stale too quickly.