Sunday afternoon, I was going through “the pile” looking for something to grab my attention. Then I saw it. The object of my craving (that I didn’t even know I had!) — banana bread. And I just happened to have four bananas that were past their prime. Perfect! The recipe was scribbled down on a piece of scrap paper. I have no idea where I found this recipe, but I must have been in a hurry when writing it down because I could hardly read my own writing.
My favorite almost-four-year-old sous chef was very eager to help me bake. Together, we mixed together all of the ingredients and mashed the bananas (this was Joey’s job!) exactly as the recipe called for. When making a new recipe, I like to make it exactly as it’s written the first time around — just to see how it turns out. After that, I start tinkering and tweaking.
This recipe makes two loaves of bread. I made one loaf exactly as the recipe directed. For the second loaf, I added chocolate chips, as per my husband’s request.
Ultimate Banana Bread
Compliments of It’s a Keeper
Original Recipe From: Southern Living Magazine
www.everydaytastes.com
Bread
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
6 Tbs flour
Streusel Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans.
Using and electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Slowly add sugar and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. While mixer is on low-speed, slowly add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture until just combined. Stir in mashed bananas. If adding chocolate chips, combine chips and flour in a separate bowl then fold into batter.
Spoon batter evenly into greased loaf pans.
Stir together all ingredients for streusel topping. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over each.
Bake for one hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. To prevent over browning, you may need to cover loaves with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cool pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool an additional 30 minutes before slicing.
Is it a keeper?
It’s a KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER! This is the BEST banana bread I have ever had! It is ultra moist and so very flavorful. The streusel topping is such a great addition to a classic recipe like this. So are the chocolate chips! My husband loves this addition. It’s really an unbelievably delicious recipe. I can’t think of a better way to use up bananas!
Photo by Jim Hitchcock
I’ve shared this recipe on other blog recipe swaps and link exchanges. For a complete list, click the “Links & Link Parties” tab above.
56 Responses to The Ultimate Banana Bread
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Looks great I’m always looking for differnt ways to make something with banana’s. My husband always buys them and eats maybe 1 or 2 then they go bad. I have serveral banana’s in the freezer that need to be used. I give this one a try.
Thanks
Amanda
http://www.angelcakescharity.org/
http://cakebaker35.wordpress.com/
This is the BEST banana bread recipe I have ever tasted! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Please let me know how you make out!
Hello, this recipe is really good. I dropped some off to my husband’s work. I added some chocolate chips to the loave I dropped off there. They loved it, but couldn’t taste the banana, they just called it chocolate chip bread. The bread is really moist and tastes great, but if you replaced the banana’s with another package of cream cheese, you could call it cream cheese bread instead. I make a banana bread from a Betty Crocker cookbook that really tastes like banana. I use really overripe banana’s, Betty’s recipe uses buttermilk also. I hope I didn’t hurt your feeling’s that isn’t my intent, just wanted to share my thought’s with you about this…
P.S. I loved the topping, it’s very good!!!
My husband loves it with chocolate chips too! Glad you liked it! It’s super moist!
This bread was amazing! I left out the chocolate chips and added 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the batter – so moist and yummy! For me – the banana flavor was amazing!
I’m so glad you liked it, Angel! My husband’s been bugging me to use up some old bananas — maybe I’ll make some too!
Thanks for reading and posting back!
Yum Yum! I would be honored to have you add it to my blog party
Amaze Me Monday Blog Party
As soon as I saw your link at Embellishing Life, I knew I’d have to come check it out! I’ve been craving banana bread and I’ve got a few bananas sittting out to ripen so I can make some later this week! I’ve never made it with a streusel topping; it looks like a fabulous recipe! I’m going to post a link on my blog’s FB page so I can easily find it again!
This is such an awesome recipe, Katie! Let me know how you make out! And, thanks the link!
Come back soon!
Yum!!!! Your banana bread recipe looks delicious with the cream cheese in it too, I love cream cheese! Thank you for linking to Masterpiece Monday. Mary :O)
Oh do I love banana bread. I can’t wait to try this. I have bookmarked this, thanks for sharing!
thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com
Looks yummy, thanks for sharing. I absolutely love banana bread! Thanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday.
Yum! I will definitely be trying this. My mom makes great banana bread, but for some reason, I cannot get it to turn out right. Maybe it’s time to try something different!
Looks yummy! Thanks for joining my blog hop!
I’m now following you.
Kelly
http://mysimplewalk.com
ooooo..the stresel topping…yum yum yum yum yum yum!@!!
I am definitely going to be making this one for a blog post…DEFINITELY!!!
….following you now
can’t wait to see more keepers. I just had a NON-keeper here: http://allenaim.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-photograph-food-tutorial-process.html
Glad to hear this one is a keeper! It looks so good with the streusel topping! Thanks so much for sharing at Gettin’ Krafty With It!
This sounds so good. My son LOVES to bake and it is a snowy day off from school. You just made his day!
A new GFC follower from Blog It Forward Tuesday.
Laura
http://www.agoddessoffrugality.blogspot.com
Oh thanks…I can’t wait to try this! Stopping over from Gettin’ Krafty With It….Melissa
http://just-starting-out.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-valentine-decor.html
Hi there,
I am your newest follower via the blog hops. Looks like a great blog you have here. I shall look forward to reading more from you. Please come by and visit me whenever you get a moment. I love new followers.
Marie
http://thethingswefindinside.blogspot.com/
I have been searching for a good Banana Bread recipe to try. This looks great! And I’m glad it turned out very moist, sounds perfect to me! Stopping over from Tasty Tuesdays at 33 shades of green.
Wow, this looks delicious! Yes, it’s definitely a keeper!
Yummy! This looks absolutely delicious!!
Newest follower from the Tuesday Blog Hop
Hopefully you will stop by and follow.
Happy Tuesday!
http://singlemominspiration.blogspot.com/
YUM! Looks so good! Can’t wait to try it.
I love this bread already, especially the topping! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Your Banana Bread looks so good, I would be a keeper at my cottage. I would like to invite you to bring a dish to my Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and you have a great week!
I am making this right now- I LOVE banana bread and everything banana- I can’t wait to try it- thanks for linking to photo tuesday
Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!
Oh wow! That recipe looks amazing! Might have to try this!
Thanks for linking up to Making It With Allie! I can’t wait to see what you have for next week!
AllieMakes.Blogspot.com
Oooo… that looks and sounds delicious! I haven’t had banana bread in a long time!
Thanks for sharing and linking up!
Tnx for linking up at my party! I LOVE banana bread! This one sounds delicious too, i’ll have to try it!
Looks delicious and banana bread is a favorite. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll back this soon.
This look AMAZING! My husband doesn’t like bananas, but I feel like I could probably handle eating the whole thing myself:)
Christine
greatoakcircle.com
It is pretty amazing, Christine! You won’t be disappointed! I’m now following your blog! Thanks for stopping by, come back soon!
I love banana bread almost as much as my obsessed husband does. And I’m totally with your husband, who wanted chocolate chips. Chocolate chips go so beautifully in banana bread, don’t they? But I’ve never tried it with streusel…Now I need to make your recipe!
Visiting from Tidy Mom!
I am so going to try this! I’m ready for a new variation on my traditional banana bread recipe and this sounds perfect. I have a special banana masher in my house too so he will be thrilled! Thanks for linking this up to Inspiration Friday!
Vanessa
YUM! Banana bread with a streusel topping….can’t wait to try it. Thanks for linking up to Tip Day Thursday.
Wendy
Around My Family Table
such a great way to use up all the bananas! i love banana bread.
Hopping from Food Trip! Followed you, too.
–Arlene
Joys in Life
All About Her
My Fashion Sense
Healthy Lifestyle
Thanks for the follow! I’m following you too! And, thanks for stopping by – come back soon!
OMG this def looks like the ultimate banana bread! Love the sound of the second loaf too with the choc chips! yum yum!
I can’t wait to give this a try! Come join me for Crock Pot Wednesday this week or whenever you can.
I miss eating banana bread.
my Food Friday post
i wish I could learn how to bake even a simple bread. this one looks yummy!
What a Great SIte you have! Love the idea behind it
And this Banana Bread looks fantastic- I think I might try converting it to Gluten Free!
Wanted to invite you to Participate in a weekly Event I host titled Seasonal Sundays! This recipe fits the theme really well!
xo, Brittany
Welcome, Brittany! Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to visit often!
I’ll be sure to link up to your site too!
Looks absolutely delicious! Will have to try this one!
i use cream cheese in my banana bread too! i think it is what makes it so delicious! thank you for sharing this great recipe with tuesday night supper club.
looks delish! Btw, I have an ON-GOING giveaway… Hope you can join. Thanks!
looks delectable… i love anything banana…{i’d have to sub this to be GFCF, but bananas are such a strong flavor that it would be great!}
Thanks for linking this up to Creative Juice last week…{hope to see you back…link up should open tonight once my monsters are in bed!}
<3
nicolette
This looks really yummy! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites last week!
I made this a couple days ago and it was absolutely delicious!
[...] Ultimate Banana Bread [...]
Banana Bread with Streusel topping…YUM!
On Feb 9,2010 you had a blog giving the recipe for:
“Ultimate Banana Bread”. I was writing it down so I could make it (to hard to shlep my computer to the counter to read it)and realized in the directions that you never mentioned, at any point, adding in the vanilla. I was surprised in the comments that no one mentioned that. I’m sure everyone probably knew enough when to add it, but maybe as one reads thru the directions to make it, and being that it’s not there, omitted it without realizing it. Not a big deal, but just thought you might want to know. Haven’t made it yet, so I don’t have a comment on how it tasted yet. Bella
Thanks for the heads up on the omission — I sincerely apologize. I went ahead and fixed the recipe.
OMG. I love anything with good streusel on it, and the thought of banana bread brings me back to my childhood, my great-grandmother always made “too much” and gave it to several family members and took them to church potlucks. My best friend and her mom recently in past few years started calling me “Streuseler” (a play off my name russell i guess). at first i hated it, so they called me that just to annoy me, but then it just stuck so i always answer to it lol
Trust me…you won’t be disappointed with this recipe! It’s FABULOUS!
Love the nick name too! 