I’ve been perfecting it for a while, and I am finally happy! This fluffy banana bread recipe reliably yields a soft, moist loaf that you can easily enhance with many different flavours. For the base I use very ripe bananas, margarine, flour, egg, baking soda and vanilla extract, and then it’s all about getting creative. Fresh berries, sweet spice mix, chocolate, coconut, nutella, peanut butter, nuts… the options are endless. So let’s get the basics right, and then the kitchen’s your playground!
Batter Ingredients for Fluffy Banana Bread:
Bananas. We need very, very ripe bananas for this recipe. Not only they are softer and easier to mash, bananas also get sweeter as they ripen.
Margarine. I have tried both butter and margarine, and the latter produces better results. I really do not know why, but it does. Margarine is essentially butter mixed with some kind of oil, which makes it softer. You are probably very familiar with it if you use spreadable butter at home like we do. I usually opt for the salted spread because then I don’t need to add extra salt.
Flour. Simple all-purpose flour is all we need. A confession: I never sift it.
Egg. Nothing much to say about it. It’s just an egg that goes into the batter.
Vanilla extract. I use it in place of sugar. It’s slightly lower in calories and has significantly less carbs. Doesn’t mean it’s healthy but makes me feel a bit better 😀 Plus, vanilla and bananas are great together! However, if you like it sweet or aren’t a fan of vanilla, you’d have to use sugar instead. Note: vanilla extract is not the same as vanilla essence. Extract is natural, essence is synthetic.
Lastly, baking soda helps the batter to expand and rise, creating a lighter, fluffier texture.
And that is all we need for the batter – now you can choose how to jazz it up!
Flavour Enhancers:
Bananas are awesome because they pair well with many different flavours and ingredients. You can start by experimenting with ground spice that have different nuances of sweet, for example:
Cinnamon or cloves for a warmer, spicier taste;
Green cardamom for a cooler, fresher feel;
Star anise for a hint of licorice;
Rose buds (yes, you can grind them too!) for mild floral undertones;
Nutmeg for deeper, woody sweetness.
Use just one type or mix and match: cloves with cinnamon and nutmeg, nutmeg with cardamom or star anise, rose buds with cinnamon and cardamom.
Additionally or alternatively, you can use other ingredients to create more layers and twists. Some of my favourite flavour affairs are:
- Bananas + coconut + cardamom + cinnamon
- Bananas + coconut + chocolate + ground ginger
- Bananas + blueberries/blackberries + cinnamon
- Bananas + figs + cloves
- Bananas + dates + pecans
But really these are just a few – there are so many options that you can easily have a new version every time!
Preparation tips for Fluffy Banana Bread:
- As a rule of thumb, I use 50:50 ratio of bananas to flour weight-wise.
- Reserve an extra small banana or half or a larger one. Break into lumps or roughly chop and stir into the batter in the end. This will soften the texture of the loaf and give it a more prominent banana taste.
- A hand mixer is great for beating the batter to a smooth consistency as it helps break down any flour lumps.
- If using any extra spices, add them together with the batter ingredients. Solid ingredients such as chocolate, fruits or berries, nuts etc are added in the very end to keep them whole.
- Use a little extra butter to grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish, so that the bread doesn’t stick to it. Pour in the batter and bake at 180C for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
You can also make banana bread with a spread such as Nutella or peanut butter. In this case, first warm the chosen spread up to thin it. Then, pour half of the batter into the baking dish, follow by pouring over the spread in swirls or zigzags, and cover with the remaining batter.
Serving suggestions:
A slice of banana bread is great to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. Sometimes, I also make a basic loaf and use extra flavourings as toppings. For instance, spread over some Nutella and top with strawberries, or drizzle with honey and add more fruits such as mango or pineapple. Banana bread is a versatile snack that you can easily ‘dress’ up or down!
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Fluffy Banana Bread with Coconut and Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- 1 Hand Mixer
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 23x13x6cm baking dish
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 2+1 very ripe bananas
- 265 g flour
- 85 g salted spreadable butter plus extra for greasing
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
For the extras:
- 1 tbsp shaved coconut
- 1-2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp ground ginger see notes
Instructions
- Melt the butter (I do it in a microwave).
- In a large mixing bowl, beat two ripe bananas with a hand mixer until fairly smooth. Add the butter, one egg, the flour, vanilla extract, ground ginger and baking soda and beat until smooth.
- Stir in chocolate chips and shaved coconut.
- Roughly chop the remaining banana, add to the batter and mix everything together once again.
- Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish with extra butter and pour in the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 190C on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out dry.
- Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let cool.
Notes
- You can swap ginger for ground cinnamon and/or cardamom, or opt for any other flavourings from this post or beyond!
- As a rule of thumb, I use 50:50 ratio of bananas to flour, so you may need to adjust the quantities of the flour based on the weight of the bananas. Only count the weight of the bananas that go into the batter, i.e. excluding the one that is chopped and added in the end.
