How to Make Super Easy Banana Bread

Super Easy Banana Bread~

This year for Mother’s Day my son bought me the Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering cookbook. Sometime in June his girlfriend and I decided we would devote Tuesday afternoons to baking our way through the cookbook. What fun we had! Joanna wrote a recipe on how to make super easy banana bread which she calls “after-school banana bread, and it was one of our favorites.

The Magnolia Table cookbook contains tasty recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner: however, we focused almost solely on making desserts. Joanna incorporates little stories of the Gaines family throughout the cookbook, and with this super easy banana bread, she wrote that she makes it for her children to eat along with scrambled eggs for breakfast or as an after-school snack. I baked this banana bread several times and declared it to be delicious any time of the day!

Magnolia Table After-School Bread

What You’ll Need:

8×8 baking pan plus non-stick baking spray

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted & cooled
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 to 5 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used this gluten-free flour blend)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional; see Tip)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar as needed

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Spray an 8×8 -inch pan with non-stick baking spray or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Add the bananas and mix until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the pecans (if using) and mix until combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the sugar over the top.
5. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan on a rack. Slice and serve warm with butter.
6. When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

TIP: You can replace the pecans with 1 cup chocolate chips

*****

I chose to use chocolate chips instead of the pecans because, hello… chocolate!!! Joanna recommends baking the bread in an 8×8 pan instead of a loaf pan because it produces a consistent texture. This super easy banana bread is moist with a crunchy texture from the sugar sprinkled on top. I’ve made many banana bread recipes over the years and can honestly say this one is my favorite 💗 Enjoy!

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