Banana Bread Recipe

I’ve always joked that the only reason I buy bananas is to let them ripen a little too long on the counter, just so I can turn them into banana bread. For as long as I can remember, it’s been one of my favorite comfort foods. As a kid, I’d look forward to it waiting for me after long swim practices—thick slices, still warm, sometimes with a little butter melting into the top. Later, in college, it would show up in care packages from home, a taste of comfort and love wrapped in foil and tucked between textbooks and laundry I never got around to doing. Banana bread has always felt like a little piece of home, no matter where I was.

Now, years later, it’s a recipe I return to again and again, not just for the taste but for the memories it carries with it. It’s simple, unfussy, and somehow always just right—whether I’m baking it for my family or sharing a loaf with friends. Today, I’m passing that same recipe on to you.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 c. oil (I use avocado oil)

2 c. flour

2 c. smashed bananas

1 1/2 c. sugar (maple syrup can be substituted, 1:1 ratio)

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Beat eggs lightly, stir in oil, sugar bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Stir in nuts (optional). Transfer into two well greased 8x5 pans. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour or until cooked through. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Side note: you can also switch out the bananas for grated zucchini or carrots, just make sure you use a food processor to grate finely. All other ingredients and steps remain the same.