Classic Banana Bread
A tender, buttery banana loaf made with very ripe fruit and chopped walnuts, baked until golden and sliced into 10 familiar afternoon treats. Batch yield: 1 loaf, approximately 900 g after baking and cooling, cut into 10 slices. One serving: 1 slice, approximately 90 g. Prep means all non-oven elapsed time: 30 minutes for butter softening, 25 minutes of hands-on preparation and handling, and 120 minutes of cooling (10 minutes in the tin plus 110 minutes on a rack). The hands-on allowance includes unmoulding and slicing, separate from the resting periods. Preheating overlaps butter softening and is not added again. There is no chilling. Cook time allows one 60-minute oven batch; actual baking may take 55–65 minutes. Allow about 3 hours 55 minutes from cold butter to cooled slices. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer. Equipment: 23 × 13 × 7 cm loaf tin; Baking parchment; Kitchen scales; Measuring spoons; 3 mixing bowls; Fork; Whisk; Silicone spatula; Knife; Chopping board; Skewer; Wire cooling rack; Serrated bread knife; Aluminium foil if needed to shield the loaf. Allergens: Contains wheat (gluten), eggs, milk from butter, and walnuts (tree nuts). Check packaged ingredient labels for additional product-specific allergens. Storage: Once completely cool, wrap well or place in an airtight container. Keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days total. Freeze individually wrapped slices in a freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw a wrapped slice at room temperature for 1–2 hours before eating.
175 min
Prep
60 min
Cook
10
Serves
301
Calories
Macros · per serving
5g protein
38g carbs
15g fat
Ingredients
For 10 servings
- 115 g Unsalted butter
- 300 g Very ripe bananas, peeled
- 140 g Caster sugar
- 2 eggs Large eggs
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 210 g Plain flour
- 4 g Bicarbonate of soda
- 3 g Fine salt
- 60 g Walnut halves
Instructions
- 1
Cut the butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until soft enough to press easily but not melted. During the final 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F conventional or 155°C/310°F fan. Position a shelf in the middle.
- 2
Line the base and sides of a 23 × 13 × 7 cm loaf tin with baking parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift out the loaf. Mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small lumps. Chop the walnuts, setting aside 15 g for the top.
- 3
In a second bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt until evenly distributed.
- 4
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 2–3 minutes, until lighter and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Briefly beat in the vanilla and mashed banana on low speed; a slightly curdled appearance is normal.
- 5
Add the flour mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the remaining 45 g walnuts. The batter should be thick but readily spoonable; avoid further beating.
- 6
Scrape all the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Scatter the reserved 15 g walnuts over the top and gently press them into the batter.
- 7
Bake for about 60 minutes, checking from 55 minutes; some ovens may need up to 65 minutes. The loaf should be well risen, with a golden, split top and a centre that springs back gently. A skewer inserted into the middle should emerge without wet batter, although a few moist crumbs are fine. If the top is darkening too quickly, loosely cover it with foil after about 40 minutes and continue baking.
- 8
Leave the loaf in its tin for 10 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment, remove the paper and place the loaf on a wire rack for about 110 minutes, until completely cool through the centre. Do not wrap it while warm.
- 9
Use a serrated knife to cut the cooled loaf across its length into 10 equal slices. The cooled loaf should weigh approximately 900 g, giving slices of about 90 g each; moisture loss will vary slightly.
Cook it this week.
NeatEat plans Classic Banana Bread — and the rest of your week — around your budget, groceries included.