The number of Americans baking banana bread exploded after pandemic lockdowns sparked a surge in home cooking and, in particular, inspired online recipe searches for the humble loaf, according to CNN. It’s understandable considering that banana bread sits at the perfect intersection of an indulgent comfort food and easy-to-make […]
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The number of Americans baking banana bread exploded after pandemic lockdowns sparked a surge in home cooking and, in particular, inspired online recipe searches for the humble loaf, according to CNN. It's understandable considering that banana bread sits at the perfect intersection of an indulgent comfort food and easy-to-make recipe that bakers of any experience level can successfully create. Because it's a quick bread, it needs no kneading or yeast, relying instead on baking soda and baking powder to rise. Even better, banana bread is sweet, moist, and can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. And it's one of those home-baked goods that can make you feel all warm and snuggly inside no matter the season.
So naturally, a bread that tastes this wonderful and helps get us through our most stressful moments deserves its own holiday, which happens to be February 23! It's designated as National Banana Bread Day, according to Foodimentary, making it the perfect excuse to gather up your brown bananas and bake a loaf. And while you can always go with a classic recipe, you might also want to try an intriguing variation, like Double Chocolate, Cookie Butter, or a banana bread loaded with tropical flavor. Here are 10 delicious banana bread recipes to try in honor of this special day.
1. Banana Nut Bread
Here is a classic, straightforward recipe to make for National Banana Bread Day. This traditional loaf has sweetness from the ripe bananas and sugar, plus a hint of cinnamon. Chopped walnuts are scattered throughout the bread and sprinkled over the top as well. Nuts can be omitted if you'd rather, or you can try a different type such as chopped almonds, pecans, or pistachios. This bread takes about an hour to bake, filling your kitchen with an irresistible aroma the entire time.
2. Double Chocolate Banana Bread
How about a banana bread that does double duty as a dessert? This recipe for a classic banana bread has an indulgent twist: Two kinds of chocolate are mixed in to make the treat even more delicious and rich. First, there's cocoa powder in the batter to create a luscious dark brown loaf and then chocolate chunks are stirred throughout, which means there'll be melty bits in every slice. The recipe is just as easy to make as regular banana bread, and bakes up in about an hour.
3. Hawaiian Banana Bread Recipe
This is one of the most delicious variations on a classic banana bread, and a perfect way to celebrate this week's holiday. Ripe bananas are paired with crushed pineapple and coconut in this loaf, giving it a flavorful, tropical vibe. These three ingredients are also a classic combination in Southern hummingbird cakes, according to Martha Stewart. The resulting bread will be soft and sweet, with delectable flavor and texture.
4. Three-Ingredient Banana Bread
Get your banana bread fix with the fewest ingredients possible with this recipe. The key to this 3-ingredient take is using self-rising flour, which King Arthur Baking explains has the baking powder and salt already mixed in. It's a great shortcut ingredient, but if you don't have any it's easy to make your own self-rising flour. Sweetened condensed milk provides sweetness and moisture, and the third ingredient is bananas, of course — the mushier the better, because that's what always makes the sweetest, most flavorful banana bread.
5. Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread
One of the best things to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee is a slice of fresh banana bread, so it's no wonder that it's one of the most popular treats in Starbucks' snack case. If you're a fan, then you might like this copycat recipe to celebrate National Banana Bread Day. Not only is it simple to make, because the bread is baked fresh by you, it's also way more delicious. It gets its sweetness from maple syrup and extra nuttiness from almond milk in the batter.
6. Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Banana breads do tend to be very sweet, which can leave folks who are trying to cut back on excess sugar feeling left out of the fun on National Banana Bread Day. The good news is that this particular banana bread recipe delivers all the flavor and tenderness of a typical loaf but is made with no added sugars. The sweetness comes from ripe bananas and applesauce (try making it homemade too!), as well as a generous sprinkling of sugar-free chocolate chips.
7. Gluten-Free Banana Bread Cookies
Not only does this recipe offer a fun twist on a traditional loaf of banana bread, it needs just five ingredients — and it's also a gluten-free baked treat, so even more people can celebrate the deliciousness of banana bread. The cookies are loaded with mashed, ripe bananas, so they have a soft, moist texture similar to banana bread. Maple syrup provides a little extra boost of sweetness, and almond flour holds all the ingredients together. The recipe makes 12 good-sized cookies that bake up in about 30 minutes.
8. Cookie Butter Banana Bread
Here's an idea to bake up a loaf of moist banana bread with a unique ingredient that gives it an intriguing, spiced flavor. If you haven't tried cookie butter yet, Taste Of Home explains that it's a creamy paste made by grinding up the European spice cookies known as speculoos. It's very sweet and rich, and creates an extra-delicious loaf of banana bread when added to the batter. Best of all, this bread is super easy to make.
9. Banana Oatmeal Bread
This banana bread recipe is quick to pull together, and it's extra hearty and filling too, thanks to the rolled oats that are blended into the batter. The bread's sweetness is courtesy of bananas and maple syrup, and it has a touch of cinnamon, too. Yogurt in the batter provides extra moisture and a little acidity to balance out the sweetness. Because this bread is a more dense than a non-oat banana bread, it takes a little bit longer to bake through, between 65 and 75 minutes. But don't worry — it'll be worth it!
10. Zucchini Banana Bread
What's better than a classic banana bread? Combining two favorite quick breads together in one amazing loaf. Celebrate National Banana Bread Day with a new variation, one made with grated zucchini added to the batter, which is an excellent way to use up zucchini that you stashed in the freezer from summertime. The bread has all the sweetness and heartiness of classic banana bread with added veggie nutrition. You can even add mix-ins like chocolate chips or chopped nuts to make it even better!
