I just LOVE banana bread. It’s a deliciously moist mix between a dessert and a snack. This recipe is one that I’ve tweaked until it’s just the way I like it. The sprinkled cinnamon-sugar topping is optional, but adds a sweet, fun addition without too many extra calories. Hope you enjoy it!

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups flour (I use half white and half whole wheat)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling on top
• dash of salt
• 1 egg (2 Tbsp egg powder + 4 Tbsp water)
• 3 medium to large overly ripe bananas*, mashed
• ¾ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on top
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray or grease an 8x4x2 bread loaf pan (or three mini loaf pans).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Push the flour mixture toward the edges of the bowl to create a well in the center; set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar, and oil.
4. Add the banana mixture all at once to the middle of the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Sprinkle a little bit of sugar (anywhere from ½ to 1 Tbsp) evenly over the top and a little bit of cinnamon as well (about 1 tsp).
6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean. (If you are using mini loaf pans, reduce the baking time to 35-40 minutes.)
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack. (I like to place a clean kitchen towel over it to help prevent it from losing too much of its moisture while cooling.)
8. Once the bread is completely cooled, you can wrap it with plastic wrap or store it in a plastic bag. (Note: do not wrap until completely cooled or your bread can get soggy.)
9. Enjoy your delicious banana bread or give it away as a gift!

*A tip for being able to make banana bread with your food storage is to freeze your bananas when they get to that ‘overly ripe’ stage. This is especially helpful if you don’t have the time to make banana bread right away when your bananas are going bad. Frozen bananas are also great for smoothies! Of course, this means that you have to have electricity in order to keep your bananas frozen, so this recipe is for ‘With Electricity’ (unless you happen to know someone who grows bananas and have access to them fresh ).
How I Freeze Bananas: 1) peel the bananas, 2) divide into segments, 3) give them a flash freeze by laying them on a cutting board and popping them in the freezer for about an hour (this helps to keep them from sticking to each other when stored in the bags), and 4) place them in freezer strength plastic baggies and store in the freezer. Then, when you want to make your banana bread, simply pull out the bananas and let them thaw prior to use, or just use them frozen in your smoothies. Ta-da! Food Storage bananas!

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens