The Best Banana Bread

I never used to be a huge banana bread fan, but Mikey Jr LOVES it so I have made it frequently for him over the years, especially when we have bananas that have gone brown.  This recipe is so fantastically yummy that it makes me actually want to buy too many bananas so that I know I will have brown ones soon!  It has the most amazingly wonderful, tender, moist texture and the perfect balance of sweetness making it my number one go-to recipe for banana bread.

Did you know the more ripe your bananas are, the more flavorful your bread will be?  Are they almost black?  PERFECT!  Your bread will be moist and delicious!  You can do several different variations of this bread.  Add chocolate chips, walnuts or pecans, a combination of chocolate chips and nuts or nothing at all!  When I make it I divide the batter in half and do two different variations to appease all the people in my house.  This recipe makes two loaves.

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, put one Tbsp of lemon juice in the bottom of a measuring cup.  Fill with milk to the 1/2 cup line and let sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to curdle.  (This is what I usually use when making it.)

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/3 cups AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed in a small bowl with a fork till nice and mushy
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk*

Optional Mix-Ins:

• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two regular sized loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes in your mixer.  
3. Beat in your eggs one at a time.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined. 
6. Add in the mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and mix well.
7. At this point stir in your mix-ins.  (You can do mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, a combination of both or nothing at all.)  
8. Pour batter evenly into the two greased loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  
9. Let cool for at least 15 minutes then run a knife around the edge and remove from pans. 
10. Let cool completely then slice and enjoy!