How to Fix Bland Banana Bread

Choose the deep yellow bananas with brown spots for banana bread.

It happens to many people: you buy a bunch of bananas, but they get too soft for peanut butter and banana sandwiches or as a sliced cereal topping. So if life gives you over-ripe bananas, make banana bread. But don't waste those yellowing beauties on bland bread. Instead, take a basic recipe and make it tasty treat.

Things You'll Need

• Ripe bananas
• Butter
• Buttermilk or coconut milk
• Dark brown sugar
• Fresh spices
• Cast iron skillet

Instructions

1. Choose ripe bananas. The darker the banana's skin, the sweeter the fruit. The best candidates fall apart when you peel them. If your fruit bowl is filled with green bananas but you want to make the bread today, ask for over-ripe bananas in the produce section.

2. Substitute some of the basic ingredients. If you use a neutral oil for the fat, trade it for some melted butter, either for the entire amount or a portion. Use buttermilk or coconut milk instead of water or milk. Dark brown sugar gives a more complex flavor than white sugar.

3. Add spices. If you use ground cinnamon and nutmeg in your recipe, make sure those spices still have some flavor, and replace them if they are old. Or, freshly grind cinnamon sticks and grate whole nutmeg instead of using the dried powder varieties. You can also change the spice mixture. Instead of cinnamon, try cardamon. Finally, add a slight amount of black pepper, chili powder or cayenne pepper for a small kick.

4. Stir in extras. For a little texture in the bread, mix in some coconut flakes or ground wheat germ. For sweetness, add chocolate chips. For crunch, include peanuts. For a surprise, try candied ginger or grated orange peel. If you add chopped nuts, fold them in last so they stay crunchy.

5. Change the baking style. Instead of a loaf pan, spread the batter in a cake pan or try a technique generally used for cornbread. Heat a cast iron skillet as you preheat the oven. Add a little butter to the hot pan, and then the batter. Bake until done for a bread with a crunchy crust.

Tips & Warnings

• You can freeze ripe bananas until you have enough for a loaf. Peel them first and freeze them on a plate or tray. Once frozen, transfer them to a plastic freezer bag.

References

• "How to Cook Everything"; Mark Bittman; 2008
• "Ratio"; Michael Ruhlman; 2009
• Food52: Skillet Banana Cake