How To Make Banana Bread
Leave it to southerners to find a way to make something delicious out of rotting fruit. Alright so “ripe” bananas aren’t exactly rotting but if you’ve seen the state of some bananas that have been behind this moist and delicious creation, you’d know what I mean.
I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t make banana bread on a regular basis. We see bananas going bad on our counter and our hands are already reaching for the flour. I’m certain this is another example to support my theory that all of the best southern dishes came about from the whole yankees-trying-to-starve us thing.
Banana bread always makes me think of these jade fire king dishes that I have (and use often in my photographs). Back in the early eighties, my mother took up an interest in collecting antique dishes. She mostly collected the pink cabbage rose depression glass, which was pretty expensive. I was her tag along to most of the antique shops and so she decided to include me in the collecting process by starting a set of dishes for me which we could then go on the hunt for. At the time, Fire King Jade-ite had flooded the antique stores and were literally the cheapest dishes to acquire. I ended up with a great set which I have had for about twenty years now. Little did we know that Martha Stewart would make them as popular as they are today.
Umm…I had a point here. Oh yeah, fourth grade, 4-H bake off. I made banana bread. We had to set up a presentation of it and Mama got a dark green tablecloth, placed the loaf on a large Jadeite platter with a slice on a jadeite saucer. We stayed with it all day while the judges came by to taste and view our presentation. It was a fun day. I didn’t win, but I did win third place in the whole county for an apron I made that year and as usual, won the spelling bee. ~grins~ (How sad was it that I just bragged on my spelling bee win in fourth grade like it was still a big deal today?)
The line up: Sugar, Bananas, Pecans (optional), Eggs, Margarine, Self Rising Flour, Milk, Vanilla. If you don’t have self rising flour available where you life, go to the bottom of my post on buttermilk biscuits to see how to make your own! 
Lightly mix in chopped pecans.
2 Cups sugar
1 Cups milk
1 Cups chopped nuts (optional)
2 Cups self rising flour
1 stick margarine
2 eggs
3 bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
Place peeled bananas in mixing bowl, add sugar. Mix until bananas are liquefied. Add margarine, mix until creamed together with banana mixture. Add all other ingredients and blend well. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans and bake for one hour at 350.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jul 15 2008. Filed under Breads, Breakfast, Dessert, Southern Classics.
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Ok now you have my curiosity peaked. I cant wait to see what your gonna do with that banana bread tomorrow. Ü your loaves are so pretty and golden brown.
Love your blogs. Your sound like a true Southern girl!
Tina: YAY!! I was hoping someone would be in suspense! LOL! I promise to deliver and thanks for reading!
Flourchild: Thank you so much! Your blog is GREAT! I loved it there, but now I want blueberry pie!!
I guess I’m about as southern as they come, although whether or not this is a good thing according to others may vary from day to day ~grins~.
You definitely won me over with your southern dishes!
Aaaaaand… us Dutchies have bananas too, so I can totally make this!!! Hahaha.
(btw, your “egg in air” photo was marvelous…what a timing!)
Now my banana bread is darker than that….and uses buttermilk. Its a 100 yr old recipe from a woman I used to care for in her home. I do believe it is def. more northwest! LOL
BUt LIKE YOU I always ALWAYS add vanilla! I am sorry but vanilla MAKES a banana bread in my opinion!! Fo sho’ LOL I have had countless people say they hate banana bread but love mine because of the vanilla I swear! hahaha
Just today, while I was home for lunch, I saw that my bananas were ready to be tossed or used for something, so I was very excited to see your recipe today. Tonight or tomorrow–banana bread baking it is. I, too, can’t wait to see what we’re going to do with the “other loaf”.
(I’m a mystery lover too… )
thanks!
Mindless_Rambling: hehe, I’m glad someone can appreciate my egg in air shot! Woohoo! I’m living on the edge, I tell ya!
Have you ever had banana bread before? Is it common where you live?
Just curious!
Pinky:
NO ONE makes banana bread as good as our mothers! lol.
This is my mother’s recipe, the one she used weekly when we were growing up. There is not telling how many hundreds of times Mama has made this. As a result, she has been driving us slightly crazy the past few years because she is tired of this recipe and determined to find a new one.
I have tried one she made with buttermilk and it was amazing! Thing is, you always want what you had growing up…I hope Mama realizes that and accepts that to all of us *her* recipe is the best.
Debbie: I posted it! I actually posted three things, there are two others but I’m not sure if I’m going to get around to them today. There are just so many possibilities!!!
I hope you enjoy them, let me know!
Christy, This was the best. I had a Home Interiors Party tonight and I made the banana bread, hoe cake, and homemade peach preserves. It was a total hit. The preserved were out of this world. The guest could not get over the hoe cake, and did I mention the banana bread? Oh My Gosh! It was Grrrreat. I bought the aluminum pans at Dollar General and your recipe made three pans. This will surely be a hit during the holidays. Thanks for all of the great recipes and tools you proved on your website. I enjoy coming here everyday. Have a great week.
From Hueytown to Athans.
I made your Banana Nut Bread yesterday and it was delicious. The grands loved it and hubby said it was the next best thing to pound cake which is his absolute favorite! Thank you SO much.
One of my daughters and I made your Banana Bread a few weeks ago and it was EXCELLENT! As soon as she saw the bananas were a bit brown she got all excited asking me if we could make banana bread again. YUP! So THANK YOU again for another wonderful recipe!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the very best banana bread recipe! Since the first time we tried it, it’s been our family banana bread recipe and we only make it this way!
I catch my husband hiding fresh bananas to get them over-ripe, just so I’ll make some of this banana bread.
I made this last night and it was so easy and taste great. Husband loved it!!! Great kid recipe too.
Christy, just read your receipe but wanted to make sure it was in your cookbook before I printed it. This receipe calls for 2 cups of flour but the cookbook calls for 3 cups.Which would be better? I look forward to your emails and all your good southern receipes.
I love banana bread but the only time I made it the bread was very dry. Any suggestions to keep it moist?
i love any and all kinds of bread pudding and will be sure to try this one but i would add 2tbs of brandy yum
[...] How To Make Banana Bread Southern Plate Posted by root 18 hours ago (http://www.southernplate.com) I bought the aluminum pans at dollar general and your recipe made three pans add your comment below or trackback from your own site Discuss | Bury | News | how to make banana bread southern plate [...]
[...] time she used a tip that I read on one of my favorite blogs, Southern Plate. Christy Jordan says if you mix your bananas with your sugar when you mash them (using your mixer), [...]
Made this today but as I was following the recipe by the pictures I never saw at what point you added the milk. I just put it in at the end after I added the nuts. I could not flour my glass pans because I did not have any shortening so I just used Pam. Hope they come out okay.
[...] How To Make Banana Bread: Leave it to southerners to find a way to make something delicious out of rotting fruit. Alright so “ripe” bananas aren’t exactly rotting but if you’ve seen the state of some bananas that have been behind this moist and delicious creation, you’d know what I mean. Recipe from Southern Plate. [...]
Howdy!
Missed the part about self-rising flour – never heard of that before! made some great paving stones though!
Round 2 tonight – let’s hope it looks as good as yours!!
Next I am going to have to try your banana pudding!!! or the pumpkin muffins! or the donuts…apple pie…so many yummy recipes!!
Thanks for sharing! I love reading your blog.
I love this recipe, as I do most Southern Plate recipes. I would like to add peanut butter. (Just for my 4-year-old)) Should I leave out some of the margarine? Should I add something to make up for the fat in the peanut butter? Add an egg?? Any suggestions??
Just wanted to say thank you on behalf of my tired wallet, over-swiped debit card, and quickly balding husband for saving my generous and often overzealous support of starbucks. I was until very recently addicted (really addicted) to their chocolate chip banana bread. I felt tremendous guilt every time I slipped in for any imagined reason and purchased a piece of their yummy, waist enlarging, (I was too afraid to really look at the nutritional information) and probably not too good for me banana bread. Fast forward to my discovery of your site and multiple recipes added to my recipe box from your site. I search your site about 4-5 times a week for something yummy to try and always find a pleaser for my hubby and kiddos. Yesterday I happened upon your recipe for banana bread and thought it looked pretty tasty and different from my usual dated recipe. One double batch recipe with the added chocolate chips later and I have found heaven on earth!!! I never thought I would find a recipe even close let alone better than theirs until……… So, on behalf of all readers and my financial advisor I say THANK YOU!!!!!
Long live this banana bread recipe all though the banana bread itself shall be given a swift and well appreciated final rest in my tummy and the tummies of my family/friends.
Jane
I make Banana bread quite often and have started adding chopped maraschino cherries, a little crused pineapple and chocolate chips to it also. Just a real good change. But you can’t go wrong with plain Banana Bread.