Spinach Tiger

Big Fat Healthy Food

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • By Ingredient
    • By Category
  • Keto Home Bakery
  • Visit us at Farmer’s Markets
  • Shop with Me
  • Contact

Home » Dessert Recipes » Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread

October 15, 2011 by Angela Roberts 10 Comments

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
79Shares
Jump to Recipe

banana bread with pecans

It’s always a thrill and an honor when someone shares a special family recipe, especially when it won second place at the Tennessee State Fair.

This banana bread recipe comes from my friend Lisa’s husband, Ronnie. He handed me a sample of his legendary banana bread and a hand written recipe this past summer when I mentioned I wrote a food blog.  I left the gym with the banana bread in hand, trying not to eat too much of it, but it was irresistible… and I’m not the biggest banana fan.

Now some people will not share their recipes and I suppose that’s their business, but I think that’s rather silly. After all, who knows who baked the first banana bread or roasted the first pig. Now there are thousands of recipes for both, because someone shared what they did with others. As one good idea builds upon another, recipes evolve through many passes in many kitchens and vary by location as ingredients are available. Every cook puts their own touch into a dish and every hand creates something of their own. I believe every good cook is an artist, marrying chemistry and creativity.

Banana Bread by Angela Roberts

That’s exactly what I learned as a faux artist. I would write down my recipes which were often complicated and multi-layered. Even with exact notes, I would have a hard time repeating that finish at a different job site.  It’s rare when a faux artist can produce the same exact finish twice, because it’s all about the day, the place, the lighting, and the mood of the artist. And yet, I knew faux artists who coveted their recipes and wouldn’t share them. The real class act professionals were always willing to share because they knew that it took more than a recipe to create a work of art. I sat in classes of 12 where we would be following instructions and all asked to create the same sample. Not one sample looked like the next. I doubt I could repeat this exact finish today. But, I know I could end up with something similar and related and equally as cool.

The above is an example of a several layer faux finish using many textures that was inspired by another artist, who was inspired by another artist. None of our finishes look the same, but are all creatively connected.

I think cooking and even baking (where more precise measurements are used) is also an artistic expression and I’ll bet that if fifty people made this banana bread, there would be a slight nuance to be noticed in all fifty. This is not to say this recipe doesn’t “work.”

It’s a great recipe, but there is a a range of variation that makes a finished dish belong to the cook who made it. And, who doesn’t adapt recipes, meaning changing something about it, whether it’s the ingredients or the technique?  I would venture to say that I change most every recipe to some degree to suit myself, even the baking recipes.  I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit but, it’s basically still Ronnie’s recipe. I usually always reduce the sugar, because most American cakes and pies are too sweet for me. I cut the sugar in this recipe by 25%.

He was very specific about not being specific. If you have coconut, add it in. If you want to add chocolate chips, nothing’s stopping you. If you love nuts, choose your favorites. I added in a dash of nutmeg and a teaspoon of cinnamon.

He did, however, say to crumble the nuts with brown sugar and bake them on top of the bread not inside. And, that is what makes this banana nut bread so special and so good looking.

Tell me, have you ever received a prize winning recipe from someone and would you share yours?

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Banana Nut Bread

This banana bread won second place in baking contest.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Quick Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Author: Angela Roberts

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour note: if you use all purpose, add in 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1 cup nuts chopped coarsely (pecans or walnuts work well)

Instructions

  • Mix the dry ingredients together.
  • Mash bananas.
  • Add in eggs, vanilla, bananas and oil and stir, but don't overmix.
  • Back at 350 fro 50-60 minutes.

Notes

I cut the sugar by 25%. If you have a sweeter tooth, you can add in another 1/4 cup sugar. I added in nutmeg and cinnamon, which you add or delete, depending upon your taste.

Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe,  please tag me #spinachtiger.

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo

79Shares

Filed Under: Bread and Biscuits, Dessert Recipes, Muffins/Quickbreads Tagged With: bananas, brown sugar, flour, pecans

« Roasted Okra, Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes
Chocolate Ganache Cake »

 

Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe,  please tag me #spinachtiger.

If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Comments

  1. Deanna says

    February 27, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    What size pan did you use?

    Reply
  2. Rosa says

    October 19, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    Mmmhh, those look so delicious! I love the moist and smooth interior.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  3. Norma says

    October 19, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks for sharing because I am always looking for banana bread recipes..its one that I enjoy. I like sharing….

    Reply
  4. Sippitysup says

    October 16, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    Your an artist in your soul, of course you make this banana bread your own. Everything we touch has our own imprint in some small way. GREG

    Reply
  5. bellini says

    October 15, 2011 at 10:50 pm

    Yes I would share the recipe Angela. Nothing so deliicous should be kept a secret!

    Reply
  6. Valérie ( France ) says

    October 15, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    C’est vrai que le cake banane est vraiment très bon … j’adore
    Je te souhaite une agréable soirée
    Valérie.

    Reply
  7. Kristin Nicola says

    October 15, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    What about changing it to whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour? Is it moist enough to tolerate that? I love the idea of the nuts on top…

    Reply
    • angela says

      October 15, 2011 at 6:51 pm

      Kristy, I actually thought of trying this with a spelt flour. I think it would be moist enough with a whole wheat flour also.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Healthy Zucchini Bread Recipe | Spinach Tiger says:
    September 11, 2014 at 12:07 pm

    […] breads are always tricky for me, because they can get a bit dense. It took me a while to find this amazing banana nut bread recipe and a few tries to get this healthier version of zucchini bread where I wanted […]

    Reply
  2. Chocolate Ganache Cake — Spinach Tiger says:
    October 16, 2011 at 4:41 pm

    […] of  our friend, Kristina, who can always be counted on to give us a good recipe. If you read my last post, you now how much I love my friends who give me their signature recipes. One year she gave us this […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating






Twitter Facebook  pinterest Spinach Tiger on Instagram Spinach Tiger on YouTube

Popular Posts

Easy How to Make Sourdough Bread with Butter
Keto German Chocolate Cake
New York Strip Steak
Grain Free Spinach Tortillas
How to Cook Spaghetti Like an Italian

Sugar Free Bakery (KETO)

Copyright © 2022 SpinachTiger.com · Privacy Policy