This light, cakey and perfectly sweet banana bread recipe is a classic in my family! It’s killer served for breakfast or a snack, generously spread with butter or cream cheese.
There are probably as many banana bread recipes in the world as there are stars in the sky. This one was my mom’s moms, and it’s one of those signature recipes that families tend to develop over time. We have it A LOT! Anytime we get together in a room, this banana bread is probably floating around somewhere. It’s a recipe that we all collectively swear by. And at any given moment, one of us has probably broken off from the rest of the family to go sneak themselves a slice.
The original recipe calls for shortening. In my parents house, that means Crisco. However I don’t really mess with shortening for a variety of reasons and prefer to use butter. Butter is an excellent replacement for shortening as it creates the perfect cakey texture that is the cornerstone of this recipe. It is incredibly close- almost indistinguishable- from the original recipe made with shortening. I would also argue that it adds a richer flavor to the finished bread. (I know I’m going to hear about this later!) Margarine would work as well. Buy whatever you do, don’t substitute any type of oil! Oil will create a texture that is too dense for what we’re aiming for here.
This banana bread recipe, like many, also features overripe bananas. Using overripe bananas makes the final product sweeter and more banana-ier; but if you absolutely can’t wait, regular bananas will work just as well.
This is probably just a personal failing of mine, but there’s something about baking recipes that always makes me want to fudge them, just a little. Which is to say, I often talk myself out of some of the specifics of baking instructions (“Will it really make THAT much of a difference if I don’t sift the flour?” “What if I just eyeball the spices instead of measuring them?”) and baking really is the wrong time for that. So for all the people like me out there, I encourage you to really follow this recipe! Do take the time to mix each set of ingredients individually instead of just dumping them all in the mixing bowl. Don’t skip the flour sifting step- sifted flour is much more aerated and helps contribute to the light and cakey texture of this bread.
Mom's Banana Bread
Equipment
- 1 9x5x3 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter or shortening (Crisco)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 2 smashed overripe bananas (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter and eggs.
- Stir in the buttermilk, smashed bananas and pecans (if using) until evenly distributed.
- In a second mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the first bowl until just combined, making sure not to over-mix.
- Grease a loaf pan and pour the batter in. Let stand for 20 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Bake loaf for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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