How to Make Banana Bread

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF.
2. 
   2
   Peel the bananas and mash them up into a pulp.
3. 
   3
   Add the melted butter and combine.
4. 
   4
   Add the vanilla essence/extract and combine.
5. 
   5
   Add the baking powder and combine.
6. 
   6
   Add the sugar and combine.
7. 
   7
   Add half of the flour and combine. Once that's well mixed, add in the other half of the flour and combine.
8. 
   8
   Take a square baking tin/pan and line it with the left-over melted butter (there will be some left over in the bowl), then put the mixture in, spreading evenly.
9. 
   9
   Put the batter into the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Check to see if it's done.
10. 
    10
    If it's not done cooking, put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Keep doing this until cooked. If it is done cooking, bring bread out of the oven and take it out of the baking tin and put on a plate/cooking rack/tray.
11. 
    11
    Wait 5 to 7 minutes for bread to cool down, then serve.
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This method works best with older, browned bananas.

1. 
   1
   Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Grease or line a tube pan.
2. 
   2
   Cream the butter and sugar.
3. 
   3
   Add eggs and milk. Alternate with the flour, beating well.
4. 
   4
   Add the vanilla and mashed bananas.
5. 
   5
   Transfer the batter to the prepared tube pan.
6. 
   6
   Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
7. 
   7
   Remove when cooked. Test with a toothpick before releasing the cake.
8. 
   8
   Add a topping if wished––this is optional. Serve warm or cold.
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1. 
   1
   Get creative and add a ½ cup of nuts, sultanas, raisins or ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
2. 
   2
   Shortening also works well for greasing the pan. ^[1]
3. 
   3
   While most basic banana bread recipes call for white granulated sugar, you can swap it for brown sugar and create a moister, denser texture.
4. 
   4
   You can use other liquids in your banana bread besides milk. Buttermilk, almond milk, and soy milk would all work well, but you could also substitute sour cream or yogurt for a tangier, moister bread.
5. 
   5
   For a spicier bread, try adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and a ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.
6. 
   6
   Walnuts and pecans are ideal nuts to add to banana bread. It helps to toast them before adding them to the batter, though.
7. 
   7
   If you're a fan of chocolate, mix in milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate pieces. Keep in mind that regular sized chocolate chips often sink to the bottom of the bread, so use mini chips instead for more even distribution. Grated chocolate is another option.
8. 
   8
   Give your banana bread some tropical flavor by adding dried pineapple or shredded coconut.
9. 
   9
   If you want to make your banana bread a little healthier, you can swap half the white flour with whole grain flour.
10. 10
    Finished.
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