Easy Banana Bread

This is the banana bread for an unintentional pile of rotting bananas and a sparse pantry. Despite the low effort and basic ingredient list it’s a delicious and moist bread. No one will catch on.

Every ingredient can be substituted except the bananas, eggs, and baking soda/powder.

milk: almond, oat milk or yogurt
canola oil: vegetable, coconut, olive oil or melted butter
oats: replace with extra 1/4 cup flour
flour: any flour
sugar: brown sugar, or 1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, or agave
optional add-ins: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Ingredients

Servings: 1 loaf or 12 muffins

WET

3 small or 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup, 240ml, of banana puree)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup (75ml) neutral oil

1/2 cup (120ml) milk, any kind. I used oat.

1 tsp vanilla extract, real or imitation

DRY

1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats

1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp table salt or 1 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup (135g) sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1 - prepare equipment

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper cut to fit, or spray with nonstick spray.

Step 2 - prepare ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk together thoroughly.
In a large bowl, mash bananas until pureed. Add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract, and whisk together until homogenous.

Step 3 - combine and bake

3. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Switching to a rubber spatula, gently stir and fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Do not over-mix. Lumpy batter and small spots of dry flour are okay. If your batter is smooth, you’ve over-done it.

4. Scrape batter into loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking once you smell the banana bread.

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