Quick and Easy to prepare Banana Bread Recipe

Do you have overripe bananas sitting in one corner of your dining table? Though these spotty fellows may make their way into the dustbin soon, what if I tell you that you can use these squishy rejects to make something useful and delicious? Yes, you have read that right! Before you make up your mind to toss these overripe bananas into the dustbin or your compost heap, I am here with a banana bread recipe that will make use of those overripe bananas to turn into a culinary treat.

Banana bread is a budget-friendly dish that can be prepared using bananas that are ready to list themselves as food waste. Also, it makes use of just four ingredients, which you can easily find in your kitchen. And, the results are simply amazing because this bread tastes extremely delicious, soft, and fluffy at the same time.

This 4-ingredient banana bread recipe is easy to prepare and finger-licking good. Read on to find out how to get started with this dish:

Ingredients required

Two large size eggs
Three overripe bananas
Half a cup of brown sugar
1 level cup self rising flour

Equipment and things required for preparation

Large mixing bowl
Oven
Loaf pan
Whisk
Fork
Toothpick/ butter knife
Parchment paper
Spatula
Flour sifter

How to get started

Firstly, you need to preheat the oven at a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, take the loaf pan and line it up with parchment paper. While setting the paper, make sure that you leave some parchment paper hanging out from all four sides.
Take three large-sized overripe bananas, peel them, and put them inside the mixing bowl.
Now, start crushing the bananas until you get a liquid-like texture in the mixing bowl.
Take two large-sized eggs, crack them, and put them inside the bowl with the banana mixture. Mix the bananas and eggs together using a whisk or a fork.
Take half a cup of brown sugar, sift it, and add it to the banana mixture. Also, add one cup of self rising flour to the batter.
Give the mixture a nice stir until all the ingredients blend together perfectly. Do not over mix the batter or it may turn dense.
Now, take the batter and spread it evenly inside the loaf pan. Ensure that all the four corners are covered. Set it properly before you place the pan inside the preheated oven.
Bake the mixture for a time period of 45 minutes before checking if the batter is prepared. You can use a butter knife or a toothpick to insert in the loaf pan to check if the banana bread has been properly baked.
Continue to bake the bread while checking if it is fully prepared by checking it in a period of every three to five minutes. To ensure that the bread is fully baked, the toothpick or butter knife should come out clean from the bread loaf without any crumbs sticking to its surface.
Take the banana bread out of the oven when you are sure about its doneness, and set it aside to cool down.
After the bread cools, you can pull the parchment paper sticking out of the loaf pan to extract the bread from the pan. Slice the banana bread and enjoy the dish.

Other mix-ins

If you want to make the banana bread tastier, you can consider adding the below-mentioned ingredients to the bread:

Cinnamon
Chopped walnuts
Chocolate chips
Orange zest
Vanilla extract
Banana extract
Fresh blueberries

Tips to store your banana bread

After consuming the banana bread, you should store the leftover pieces in an airtight container.
Store the bread in a cool and dry place so that it stays good for a period of three to four days.
If you wish to refrigerate the banana bread, you can store the leftover banana bread slices in an airtight container before putting it in the fridge. You can either enjoy eating cold banana bread or put it in the microwave after taking it from the fridge.
If you want to store the bread for a more extended period, say about six months, you need to pack the cooled bread in a plastic wrap and cover it up with aluminum foil. Ensure that the bread is completely covered from all sides. Now, keep the aluminum foil-wrapped bread in a sealable bag, remove the air inside the bag, seal it, and keep it inside the freezer. Before you take it out for use, make sure that you defrost it.

Additional tips

You can also use a fork to mash any clumps and lumps that may form in the mixture if you do not have a flour sifter.
If you do not have overripe bananas, you can take the regular bananas and place them inside the microwave on baking paper for a few minutes. Do not peel the bananas while tossing them inside the oven. Take them out when you start seeing the peels turning black in color. The heat in the oven causes the bananas to ripen within a short span and you can further use them for preparing the banana bread.
Another way of turning your bananas overripe is to pack the regular bananas in a paper bag and close it from all sides. This will trap ethylene in the paper bag which further aids in the ripening of the banana.
If you do not have self-rising flour in your kitchen, you can also use all-purpose flour, added with a pinch of salt and baking powder. Take 1 cup of all-purpose flour added with one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt as a replacement for one cup of self-rising flour.
Use large eggs instead of small eggs, or your bread may not turn out the way it should and may become dry. This is because bananas and eggs intend to maintain the moisture content in the bread.
Make sure that you only use overripe bananas because overripe bananas are sweet and taste better when you are prepping up banana bread.