Our Favorite Molasses Banana Bread

If there was ever a time to be making banana bread my friends—this is it. This stuck-at-home-armageddon situation is the perfect storm of anxiety meets baking and banana bread is the cure. You’ve probably found yourself searching the internet lately for the perfect banana bread recipe (which quite possibly is why you’re here). Turns out, there are a mountain of them out there. But I want to assure you, this Molasses Banana Bread, with it’s dark, caramel undertones and soft crumb, is the only one I make.

Why Molasses Makes The Best Banana Bread

It was by necessity really that I started swapping molasses for granulated sugar in my banana bread recipe. I was looking to pack as much iron into Hiro’s diet a few years ago when he was anemic. Turns out 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses has 20 percent of the daily value of iron.

While I loved that I could turn my son’s favorite treat into something a bit better for him, I was actually even more thrilled that I had stumbled upon the secret to banana bread perfection.

The molasses guarantees a moist (sorry) bread that is never tough or chewy no matter what you do to it. You could mix the hell out of it or bake it a little too long (and believe me I’ve done both) and it’s still springy and tender with every slice.

Not to mention the flavor. This is homemade banana bread of the Gods. It is dark and lusty with tinges of bitter from the molasses that somehow enlightens the banananess of it all. If you think you’ll slice yourself off one piece and be able to walk away, think again.

What Kind Of Molasses To Use

If you are going for health-factor you should use Blackstrap Molasses in this recipe. It is the only one with the significant amounts of iron as well as several other vitamins and minerals. That being said, if you’re going for flavor, I’ve used every kind of molasses available to make this bread, and all with great results.

There’s also dark brown sugar in this recipe which is brown sugar that has double the amount of molasses added back in so we are really getting a double-whammy on the good stuff here.

A Healthier Banana Bread

I’m not going to say this Molasses Banana Bread is good for you. It’s no kale salad. But it does have some redeeming qualities that are a bit more nutritious than some other banana bread recipes:

• We already mentioned the molasses benefits.
• This is a banana bread with no butter, which makes it dairy-free.
• It has an obscene amount of bananas. More fruit is always better for you, right?

How Ripe Should Bananas Be For Banana Bread?

Basically the riper the better. Do you have bananas sitting on your counter with black speckles? Are they starting to get mushy? Perfect! Those are the ones you want to use to make banana bread.

It’s unusual to have four bananas be in that condition all at once (which is how many you need to make this recipe). Therefore, I add bespeckled bananas to my freezer as they ripen until I have enough to make a batch of bread.

You can freeze them in the peels if you want, but you will have to wait for them to thaw out before you can begin making the bread. The quickest way to turn frozen bananas into bread is to peel them and slice them before placing them in the freezer. Lay the slices in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet until they are frozen. Once they freeze, transfer them to a freezer bag, but remember to label how many bananas are in there—it’s a bit hard to tell after they are all sliced up.

When you’re ready to make banana bread just toss the frozen banana slices in your bowl and mash them up! They’ll thaw right before your eyes.

A One-Bowl Wonder

Do you have a large bowl and a spoon…okay, and a fork? Then you have banana bread! This is seriously the least fussy baking recipe you’ll find. It’s great for beginners, kids, lazy bakers, tired parents, basically anyone. Here’s how to make it from scratch:

• Mash the bananas in the largest bowl you own with a potato masher or a fork. You can mash them as little or as much as you want. Mash less if you want chunks of banana.
• Add the eggs and mash those in too. Break up the yolk and mix it in to the bananas. It’s much easier to get the eggs mixed before you add the oil and other wet ingredients.
• Add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir well. Use a whisk if you have one, or a wooden spoon if you don’t.
• Add all the dry ingredients right on top. If you are a super finicky baker you have my permission to mix all the dry ingredients separately in a different bowl first. But in my mind it makes little difference.

More Banana Breads To Love

While this Molasses Banana Bread is the one I make on a regular basis, there are other recipes I occasionally turn to when I want something different. They are both unique and delicious in their own right.

• Soft Ricotta Banana Bread
• Millet-Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Banana Bread Bakers Unite!

I don’t know about you but banana bread is my baking Xanax. Whenever I am anxious or tired or stressed beyond belief, banana bread is my drug of choice. Give it a try! Just make sure you tag @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno on Instagram so I can see.

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