From School Days to Sunday Brunch

We are huge fans of smoothies at home which has us buying bananas in bulk. As often as we have our before school smoothies, we end up with 4 or 5 overripe and unused bananas. Somehow the smoothie loses its luster when the kids see me put in a less than yellow banana…so enter the World’s Best Banana Bread! I wish I could take credit for coming up with it, but the original recipe can be found on Simply Recipes. I think it is the World’s Best…and read on to see why I know you will too!

Whether it’s a school day or a Sunday Brunch, this bread will stand up to either table. We all have those recipes that our family loves, but we wouldn’t necessarily serve them to a crowd. This bread will have your kids begging for more and your guests thinking you are a world class baker. With a brief ingredient list and quick prep, you can have it anytime the craving hits. When I am really organized, I make it before bed and it’s ready to go for early school mornings. Yes it’s a great breakfast, but it’s an even better after school snack or lunchbox addition.

I love a good base recipe with the ability to modify it and spruce it up, even with my baking abilities. I have always envied those bakers that really understand the science of baking and how a little of this and a pinch of that will create different results. That is not me! I can however add a little something here and there. This recipe serves as the perfect backdrop for so many flavors. Have a chocolate craving? Add chocolate chips. Looking for a sweet kick? Craisins are delish. In the mood for a little crunch or texture? Walnuts would be amazing! The options are endless and completely customizable to what you and your family love.

Once you have it made and include your additions (if any), baking time is suggested to be 50-60 minutes. I usually set my timer for 45 minutes and watch it from there as my oven tends to cook things a bit faster. When I have more bananas than called for, I bake it for 50-55 minutes and it has a bit more of a banana texture vs a bread texture. You can’t go wrong with this recipe as it is very forgiving. I set it to cool until I can cut it without crumbling or, like I said, you can prepare the night before and keep it fresh in an air tight container until you are ready to serve.

I dare you to stop at one slice! {Again, recipe found here!}

Bon Appetit!
Kristen