Banana Bread Ina Garten's Recipe: Bake a Heavenly Batch

Do you sometimes end up with too-ripe bananas and no longer plan to eat them? This soft, fluffy, slightly moist banana bread recipe with pieces of very aromatic pecans will quickly become the perfect companion for your coffee or tea! Ripe bananas are the delicious base of this recipe and have a unique sweetness and fragrance. 

This delicious reinterpretation of the classic banana bread recipe is absolute bliss and is inspired by the famous Ina Garten. Its firm and rich texture makes it ideal for a sweet snack, but also breakfast, along with Greek yogurt and berries. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Banana Bread Ina Garten Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Pecans — 1 cup
• All-purpose flour — 1 ¾ cups
• Brown sugar — 1 cup
• Baking soda — 1 tsp.
• Ground cinnamon — ¾ tsp.
• Ground nutmeg — ¼ tsp.
• Salt — ½ tsp.
• Mashed overripe bananas — 4 pcs.
• Eggs — 2 pcs.
• Melted butter — ½ cup
• Buttermilk — ¼ cup
• Vanilla extract — ¾ tsp.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

3. Roughly crush the pecans.

4. Mix the flour, crushed pecans, sugar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and a sprinkle of salt in a large mixing bowl.

5. In another medium bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients.

6. Incorporate the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix.

7. When the batter is prepared, transfer it to the loaf pan.

8. Bake it for about 60-65 minutes.

9. Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Substitutions

• Butter — Butter adds moisture and richness, enhancing the banana bread's flavor. If you're looking for a substitute for butter for dietary or personal preference reasons, use an equal amount of coconut or vegetable oil.

• Pecans — Pecans add texture and a nutty flavor while complementing the sweetness of the bananas. Feel free to experiment with walnuts or almonds to replace the pecans.

• Overripe bananas — If you don't have overripe bananas or don’t have enough patience to wait for them to ripen, there is a fast way to accelerate the ripening process. Ripen the bananas in the oven by baking them for 15-25 minutes until their skin gets browned. After cooling for a few minutes, peel and use them.

• Brown sugar — The dish's complexity is enhanced by the brown sugar. Coconut or granulated white sugar can be used as a substitute, as their coarse texture resembles brown sugar. Other alternatives are honey and maple syrup. If using the liquid alternatives, use 5-6 tbsp. of honey or maple syrup. Remember that you should balance the added moisture, so reduce the liquid by 1-2 tbsp.

• Vanilla extract — In case you do not have vanilla extract, you can opt for other alternatives, such as almond extract or rum extract.

Variations

• Add flavor — Add dark chocolate chips or coconut flakes for added flavor and elevated texture.

• Add icing — Add a simple sugar icing to the cooked banana bread for a spectacular look. Optionally, use a small banana, cutting lengthwise, and arrange it on top of the dish, with the side with the section up.

• Gluten-free — Using gluten-free flour can be substituted for regular flour if you are worried about gluten.

• Nut-free — If you dislike or are allergic to nuts, simply omit the pecans from the recipe. Although the bread won't have the added nutty flavor and crunchiness, it will still turn out moist and delicious.

• Sugar-free — Replace the white and brown sugar with granulated stevia for a no-added-sugar recipe. As stevia is significantly sweeter than sugar, following the manufacturer's instructions and using the recommended amount to balance the sweetness is important.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Oven

• Loaf pan

• Knife

• Cutting board

• Fork

• Large mixing bowl

• Medium mixing bowl

• Whisk or spatula

Storage

• Chill the banana bread before storing it.

• Store it in an airtight storage bag or container on the countertop for up to 2 days.

• If you need to preserve it longer, the refrigerator can keep it fresh for up to a week.

• Alternatively, you can freeze the whole loaf, portions of a loaf, or even individual slices. It should be consumed within three or four months.

Pro Tips

• The recipe's taste will be enriched using overripe bananas with a more potent natural sweetness and aroma. Thus, the riper the bananas are, the more flavorful the resulting banana bread.

• Use light brown sugar instead of regular brown sugar for a more delicate color mixture.