Banana bread is great for snacks or to have on hand for a quick breakfast. This banana bread recipe is super moist and makes three loaves. You can serve one now and stick two back to pull out later when you’re busy. And fortunately, it freezes beautifully!
I’ve tried lots of recipes for banana bread through the years. For some reason I thought I would find a recipe better than the one my mother used to make. I was wrong.
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But I still kept on trying those other recipes, feeding them to my family, and being met with the same response, “This is alright, but it’s not as good as Grammy’s.”
So I’d try another recipe.
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Finally, after making yet another mediocre banana bread, I decided to make my mother’s recipe – which believe it or not, I’d never made. I’d eat hers (and so would the rest of my family) and think, “This is SO good!” But then I’d go home and bake something else.
But not any more. The other day I had some bananas that were desperately crying out to be used (and the family was loudly complaining about the fruit flies as well) so I decided that I the time had come to see if I could make her recipe as good as she did.
As I was making the batter I kept asking myself, “This isn’t a hard recipe. Why haven’t I made it before?”
Related Post: Banana Nut Spice Cake
Who knows why we do (or don’t do) things sometimes. I’d probably built it up in my head as some difficult recipe that I’d bungle – and then be embarrassed when it wasn’t as good as we all remembered. I’m probably not the only person who has been hesitant to try my hand at cooking something that Mom or Grandma (or mother-in-law) made because of worry that ours wouldn’t measure up.
Fortunately, it was delicious.
So I’m officially finished with searching for banana bread recipes. I have to admit that I feel a little like Dorothy when she realized that she’d had the power to return home all the time she’d been in Oz. Here I’d been trying other recipes when I had access to the best one all along. Silly me.
Grammy’s Banana Bread Recipe
Grammy's Best Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter (or margarine) let soften
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk if you don't have buttermilk you can use regular milk that you've added 1 tsp of lemon juice to - let it sit while you get other ingredients prepared
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups mashed bananas about 4-5 bananas, depending on size
- 2 cups chopped nuts (optional) I use pecans but walnuts would be fine
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Grease and flour three loaf pans (I prefer Pyrex).
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Cream butter and sugar together in electric mixer.
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Add eggs and combine till thoroughly mixed.
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In large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together.
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To creamed butter and egg mixture alternately add buttermilk and rest of dry ingredients and mix till well combined.
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Finally, add mashed bananas and chopped nuts to mixture. Your mixing bowl will be getting very full so mix slowly.
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Pour batter evenly into the three prepared loaf pans and bake for approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes in oven.
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Bake until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Once done, remove from oven and let cool thoroughly before removing from loaf pans.
Recipe Notes
This recipe freezes well. However, do let it cook thoroughly before wrapping it for freezer. Otherwise you'll get condensation on the inside of your wrapping materials as the bread cools in the freezer.
To serve, remove from freezer and let thaw naturally on the counter or cut and thaw slices in the microwave for approx 30 seconds.
This is amazing spread with warm butter and served with a glass of milk. After years of straying and trying other recipes, I’m finished looking.
Related Post: If you’re looking for more tasty recipes with bananas then check out this Banana Nut Spice Cake. It’s a family recipe that’s so good you’ll want to lick your plate!
My kitchen essentials
These are the tools I use when making this recipe. I’ve had mine for ages and though none of them were very expensive, they’ve lasted a long time! Affordable doesn’t have to mean inferior and expensive doesn’t guarantee quality!
I have used my Pyrex loaf pans for years. I originally had a set of 2 and found that I used them so much when baking breads that I got a second set.- I got my Sunbeam electric mixer as a wedding gift from my grandmother and it is still running just as great as the day I first used it. I know there are more expensive, fancier models out there, but this is a great product at a very reasonable price point and will serve the needs of most cooks.
- We probably pull at least one of our Pyrex measuring cups out to use every day. Measuring cups like these are for measuring liquids (you can put dry ingredients in them but you may end up a little “off” since you can’t scrape the top for a totally accurate measure).
- A good set of cooling racks allows cooler air to circulate around the pan once you take something out of the oven. I like this set because at 11×17 they’re big enough that you don’t have to put two little ones side by side.
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Let me know what you think. I wondered if cinnamon would make it any better so if anyone decides to tinker with the spices in the recipe please let me know.
For more of our favorite – and quick recipes – we’ve put together a cookbook. These recipes have gotten us through times when we were so busy we couldn’t see straight but still needed to get dinner on the table.
Yes! I need quick and easy recipes
Another helpful item in my store is a pantry inventory sheet. This printable helps you keep track of what ingredients you have on hand. It makes it loads easier to know what you need to buy when you know what you’ve already got in stock. Go take a look here. You’ll find other products as well.
Does anyone have a recipe that they’ve put off making? Surely I’m not alone.
Great recipe. I’ve made three batches of banana bread with mini chocolate chips instead of adding nuts. So moist and tasy.
You sound like me – I’m a recipe tweaker too!
What size Bundt pans were used?
I’ve never made it in a Bundt pan but you’d need the biggest one you can find…this makes a lot of batter! Since it normally makes 3 loaves, you might get a Bundt cake and a loaf out of it. Your mixing bowl will be full to the top with batter if that helps you visualize how much it makes.
The recipe says to bake for 1 hr and 40 minutes but mine didn’t even need an hour for a toothpick to come out clean…I’m glad I checked and pulled them out early – I just hope they still taste ok and aren’t too overbaked.
Very interesting. I wonder if it’s a difference in ovens, altitude, or what. I’ve made this 100s of times and it always comes out perfect at the stated time but I do know that conditions can cause recipes to need more or less time.
I was wondering about adding cinnamon to. I never have before. Also you didn’t mention what size pans to use
Hi Sherry! Personally, I love cinnamon and I’m always tweaking the recipes I love most. The loaf pans I use are the 1.5 quart sized Pyrex pans. I just prefer the way the bread cooks in Pyrex versus any other kind of loaf pan. Hope that helps – come visit again soon!
I am actually making this now. But I decided to use my Bundt pans. I love using Bundt pans. I will let you know how it turns out
This was the best banana nut bread. My hubby and actually the whole family loved. Used two Bundt pans
I’m so glad you liked it! We’re always tweaking and playing with recipes at our house and trying something a little different with them. I love the idea of baking it in a Bundt pan – and I wonder how it would be with a light glaze over the top? If you’d like another truly wonderful recipe to try go take a look at the Five Flavor Pound Cake – it is AH-Mazing (and it freezes beautifully too!).
Banana bread is a favorite of mine! Looking forward to trying your recipe soon. Thanks for stopping in and sharing with us this week at Snickerdoodle! Pinned to share.