My husband and I are what I call “optimistic banana eaters.” We enthusiastically buy bananas thinking that this will be the week we actually eat them. But fast forward to a week later, and brown bananas sit uneaten on the counter. You would think that after several cycles of this same experience, we would alter our banana purchases. But no, if given the opportunity to purchase bananas we do and think to ourselves “oh yeah, we’ll eat them this time.”
Even though we’re terrible at eating bananas, they don’t go to waste. I discovered that if I freeze the overly ripe bananas I can use them in smoothies, or even better, banana bread.
Maybe the thought of banana bread is why I continue to buy bananas; I think I’m learning something about myself. There have been times when I’ve had about 3 to 4 bunches of bananas in our freezer, and the result was a massive banana bread baking session.
Now, let’s talk recipes. There are a million banana bread recipes out there and I’ve experimented with several. However, after discovering this recipe in my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook (see the online version here), I decided this is the only one I will use from now on. It’s that good.
I tweaked the recipe slightly because I am a firm believer in banana bread with chocolate chips and without nuts. If you disagree, feel free to alter the recipe to your liking. Regardless of my small alterations, this recipe produces a very dense, delicious banana bread that is unlike any other recipe I’ve tried. I think other people I know would agree; I tend to send loaves to work with my husband and I’ve been asked about this recipe a lot recently!
A few quick notes before I get started. First, I’d recommend removing the bananas from the freezer several hours before making this recipe so they have time to thaw. Also, while this recipe is very quick and easy to prepare, it takes just over an hour to bake, so plan accordingly!
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
In the bowl of your mixer or any large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugar. Add in eggs, bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Side note: If you rarely have buttermilk on hand and don’t want to buy an entire container for just this recipe, you can make your own. I mix 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice with 1/2 cup milk and let it sit out on the counter for about 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Add flour, baking soda, and salt and continue to mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Carefully pour the batter into the pan.
Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean after inserting into the center.
Let cool for several minutes before transferring the loaf to a cooling rack. You may need to use a knife to loosen the sides before removing from the pan.
I like to enjoy the bread while it’s still warm, especially with a cup of coffee!
Let it cool completely before wrapping and storing. I’d recommend storing in the refrigerator because it stays fresh several days longer!
Do you have any go-to banana bread recipes? How does it differ from this recipe and what do you like most about it? Share below in the comments!
- 1/2 c butter, softened
- 1 1/4 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 c frozen bananas (about 3 medium), thawed and lightly mashed
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 c chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In the bowl of your mixer or in a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter and sugar. Add in eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
- Carefully pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the top of the bread is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Let cool completely before wrapping tightly and storing in the refrigerator.
- Don't have any buttermilk on hand? Make your own by mixing 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice with 1/2 cup milk. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the banana bread batter.