Name: Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hr
Total time: 1 hr 10 min
Yield: 1 loaf (8 to 10 slices)
Ingredients: 2 to 3 medium very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed); 1/3 cup (76g) butter, unsalted or salted, melted; 1/2 tsp baking soda (not baking powder); 1 pinch salt; 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (1/2 cup for less sweet, 1 cup for more sweet); 1 large egg, beaten; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour; Optional: chopped trail mix in place of nuts (amount not recorded)

Banana Bread

Moist one-bowl banana bread from very ripe bananas, made with trail mix instead of nuts, plus notes on why mine didn't rise.

PREP_TIME10 min

COOK_TIME1 hr

TOTAL_TIME1 hr 10 min

SERVINGS1 loaf (8 to 10 slices)

DIFFICULTYEasy

// ingredients

2 to 3 medium very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
1/3 cup (76g) butter, unsalted or salted, melted
1/2 tsp baking soda (not baking powder)
1 pinch salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (1/2 cup for less sweet, 1 cup for more sweet)
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour
Optional: chopped trail mix in place of nuts (amount not recorded)

// instructions

Preheat and prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter an 8x4-inch (20x10 cm) loaf pan.
Mash the bananas. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the melted butter.
Add the rest. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla. Add the flour and mix just until combined. If using trail mix, fold it in last.
Bake. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. A few dry crumbs are fine; streaks of wet batter are not. If the top is browning but the center is still wet, tent loosely with foil and keep baking.

My notes:

I used 1 cup of sugar (the “more sweet” option) instead of 3/4 cup.
I used trail mix instead of nuts.
The loaf didn’t rise much. Not tested, but likely suspects: the heavy add-ins (dried fruit and seeds weigh down a thin batter), the extra sugar, or old baking soda. Next time: standard 3/4 cup sugar, one change at a time.

Adapted from Banana Bread by Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes.