I always wondered what you’re supposed to do with the bananas sitting at the bottom of the fruit basket that all too quickly become too ripe to eat and almost ready to throw out. Sure, you could always freeze bananas for later, but what about the bananas that are just too far gone? It has only been in the past few months that I have begun doing what most people do with their overripe bananas — make banana bread.
I tried a few different recipes with varying results, and one day, for lack of eggs but desperate to get rid of a few bananas, I stumbled upon this one on AllRecipes.com. I adapted the recipe and made a few changes, and it came out incredibly moist and pretty darn yummy! I’ve used bananas that were completely black on the outside and a bit mushy on the inside, and some that have just gotten past the spotting and browning phase. There were times, as I was preparing the batter, that I questioned myself for a moment whether the bananas were still okay to eat. Apparently those are the best bananas to use for banana bread as they have become extra sweet. (But don’t use ones that have liquefied and fermented… those are beyond saving.)
For this most recent rendition, I used a cupcake tin and made cute little mini-loaves of banana bread, complete with colorful paper liners. Personally, I like these muffins more than slices or wedges of a larger loaf. Food is just more fun to eat when it’s smaller!
The finished product!
Please note that this bread is eggless but the recipe still calls for butter and refined sugar. If you want to make it a vegan bread, try substituting coconut spread, apple sauce, or some other fruit puree (I’ve heard canned pumpkin could work well). I recently received some liquid stevia from NuNaturals, but I’m still working on adjusting the “bulk” filler that is needed to take the place of the sugar solids. Stay tuned for a veganified version!
Without further ado, here is the recipe.
Alice
Martin
