3 large ripe bananas
1/2 c brown sugar
6 T butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder (or 1 tsp for Colorado family)
1/2 tsp baking soda (or 1/4 tsp for Colorado family)
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 c all purpose white or gluten-free flour
1/2 c whole wheat or whole grain teff flour
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c chopped nuts (pecans are our favorite)
1/2 c grated coconut or other chopped dried fruit: apricot, fig, mango, papaya, pineapple (optional)
Whip the bananas with the sugar for 3 minutes to make a light and fluffy banana cream. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix until blended. Add dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry. Stir in nuts and coconut or dried fruit, if desired. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely. Wrap and let stand overnight before slicing. (The loaf will slice better after standing.) Makes one loaf. This is Great Grandma Kane’s recipe.
Gluten restrictions: use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour, and whole grain teff flour instead of whole wheat flour; also add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the dry ingredients.
05/18/07 update: I reworked the gluten- free version of the this recipe (changes made above) and wow, did it turn out great. This recipe now makes a fantastic gluten- free banana nut bread.
05/25/07 update: I divided the gluten- free batter into 12 muffin cups and baked them for 18 minutes. It made wonderful banana nut muffins.
12/24/09 update: I adjusted the baking powder for sea level baking. I couldn’t figure out why every time I made this banana bread, the loaves remained so flat; then it dawned on me: I moved from Colorado, where we were at 5000 ft altitude, to Florida, where we are at sea level! Of course, all my leavening in all my baked goods recipes are high altitude adjusted, so I have to readjust them back down for sea level to get them to turn out here in Florida.
