We shared our recipe for dairy free banana bread for those who are lactose intolerant or just looking for options, but what about adding yogurt for some extra protein? Although good bacteria in yogurt can be affected by heat when cooked you still get the nutrients including protein after cooking, besides those benefits we should bring in the fact that yogurt can work wonders in baking, kind of like adding sour cream or buttermilk to cakes, it keeps the crumble moist, fluffy and soft without using the creaming method or putting much effort. Sounds like a good addition, right?
This one is an easy recipe, one bowl, no mixer, no weird ingredients, pure banana flavor, and a perfectly fluffy, soft texture. I melt the butter in the bowl I’m mixing, mash the bananas in there and keep going. This is one my favorite recipes for banana bread and also happens to be one the easiest banana bread recipes ever, you can fix this in no time!
If you want to add in chocolate chips or chopped nuts, fold in about 1/2 cup of them just before scraping batter into the pan. I also went further and used 1/3 cup of yogurt and it worked, but if you plan to do this it will take two extra tbsp of flour and a few more minutes baking so you don’t get a crumb that’s too moist because you also need structure. To this one in the picture I added some salted pistachios on top just because I like them and makes a good contrast.
I always use bananas that have gone completely brown because their flavor is at their sweetest and most concentrated. It makes for the best banana flavor in the final product. Trust the process. The baking soda is added at the end because it will react and have a time span to make your loaf rise, it will start working immediately and you don’t want to waste that leavening agent before it hits the oven. If you add this when you start it won’t work as it should and might ruin your loaf.
Over-mixing will develop too much gluten and yield a tough bread. Just stir until there are no longer pockets of flour, then stop. Preferably, stir with a fork or a spatula so you have maximum control and avoid over mixing. Some recipes call for one sugar or the other, but I find the flavor and texture to be best when you use half granulated for sweetness and half brown sugar for moisture and softness and some more depth in flavor. They both work differently and make a great team. Why butter and not oil? Butter just adds to the moisture of the overall product. If you don’t have or don’t want to use butter, however, you can sure use olive oil or coconut oil as a 1:1 replacement.
This banana bread will keep, well-wrapped in foil on the counter, for about 3 days. It will also keep up to a week in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to wrap individual slices in foil and keep them in the freezer in a freezer storage bag to defrost whenever I want some. You can also toast the slices in a pan with some butter and top it with ice cream for an extra tasty treat.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter (4 tbsp or 1/2 a stick)
3 overripe bananas (the browner, the better)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon (11g) turbinado sugar or additional coarse granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top of the batter. The coarser the better because it won’t melt in the batter while baking.
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350F. Generously grease an 8.5 x 4.5″ or 9 x 5″ loaf pan and set aside.
Melt the butter and add to a large bowl (I just microwave the butter in this bowl to melt it). Add the bananas to the bowl and mash them very thoroughly into the melted butter until completely smooth, using a fork, potato masher or blend it and throw it in there and mix it well with the butter.
Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well-combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk in each until well-combined. Add the yogurt, vanilla, salt, and baking soda to the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth.
Add the flour all at once and stir with a fork or a spatula until a batter just comes together and no big flour pockets remain. Do NOT over-mix!
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle the turbinado or granulated sugar evenly over top.
Bake for 45-55 minutes (you will need the shorter time with a 9″x5″ pan and the longer time with a 8.5″x4.5″ pan), until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs attached.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
