A New Favorite – Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

Over the years I have tried and experimented with many banana bread recipes.  Some are too dry, flavorless, too mushy or involve strange ingredients that I think defeat the purpose of using your bananas you forgot to eat to make banana bread.  Then this weekend during my freezer meal frenzy in association with the nesting craze, my banana bread life changed with a concept I didn’t think of myself…topping.  Unnessecary? Absolutely. Delicious? For sure.  The recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen is just wonderful.  The bread itself is one of the most moist and flavorful I have had making it perfect without going the extra mile.

Bread Ingredients
- 3 whole Bananas (don’t have to be over-ripe)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, At Room Temperature
- 2  Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoons To 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Grated Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Whole Milk
- 2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt

Topping Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cold
- ⅓ cups All-purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
- ⅓ cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- ⅓ cups (heaping) Walnuts, Chopped (Or Pecans…Or No Nuts – Your Choice)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease and flour a loaf pan.

2. Yes…this step seems over the top, but it is worth it. Place bananas (peel left on) onto a baking sheet. Roast your bananas in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. The peels will turn very dark (blackish even) but don’t worry. Remove from the oven and set aside.

(If you are like me and you like to continue to work while a step is baking, you can skip down to #4 and start creaming the other ingredients and #6 while the bananas bake. Don’t forget to come back to #3 though) 

3. Once the bananas are out reduce the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees.

4. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

5. Find yourself a bowl you prefer, mash the bananas, cinnamon and nutmeg with a fork. (I cut off the end of the peel and made one long slice down the side of the peel to get the hot, roasted banana out without burning my fingers off.  Just a tip.) Mix in the milk. 

6. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

7. To get it all together, add the banana mixture to the creamed butter/sugar mixture and stir until combined. Then, dump in the dry ingredients and mix just until flour disappears. 

8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes. 

 While baking, make the streusel topping by combining the butter, flour, cinnamon and dark brown sugar in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, blend the ingredients. Add a small pinch of salt, and the chopped walnuts and toss. 

( I was out of walnuts/pecans anything nutty.  So I lef t it out and the result was a scrumptious cinnamon topping. Your choice)

After the 40 minutes of bread baking time, remove loaf and sprinkle on topping evenly and bake for 20-25 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes. 

Would you believe me if I told you I only made this because bananas make my middle of the night pregnant calf & foot cramps go away so surely banana bread would do the same?
I don’t blame you.  I wouldn’t believe me either.

(Also, don’t be afraid to freeze this…or any bread for that matter.  They thaw simply and still taste wonderful.)