Three delicious ways to enjoy banana bread

If you have never really enjoyed banana, you should try making banana bread – any flavour and you will find that you have been missing out. Banana breads taste even better, the riper the banana, and gooey the banana gets; this means you also do not have to waste bananas anymore. You can create any flavour of your choice, but here are 3 banana bread flavours you can always explore – Plain Banana bread, Coconut Banana bread and Double Chocolate Banana bread.

Banana bread is also known as a Quick bread because it does not require yeast. Try not to over mix the batter otherwise you will end up with a dense loaf that is not really pleasant to it. It is advisable to mix the batter by hand. Avoid over baking your banana bread because it will end up dry if over baked, to ensure you get the doneness right, bake in the middle rack of the oven and check for doneness a few minutes before your timer goes off.

Plain Banana Bread
This is a basic Banana Bread recipe, you can still dress it up by add nuts or other flavours like cinnamon.
Ingredients
3 Very Ripe Bananas
1/2 Cup Butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F
In a bowl mash the ripe banana with a potato masher. You don’t need to blend it because you don’t want a very smooth consistency.
Break and whisk eggs, then add to the mashed banana. Add all wet ingredients: melted butter, vanilla essence. Combine the wet ingredients.

In another bowl, sift flour, and add all dry ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt. Combine the dry ingredients properly.Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and gently fold in. Don’t mix it vigorously or for long, you only need to combine it till everything is well mixed.

Add butter and flour; rub the inside of a bread pan. This is to avoid the banana bread sticking to the pan.
Add banana bread mixture and place in an already preheated oven at 350F for 50 minutes. You can tell it is ready when you stick a tooth pick in and it comes out clean.

Take out the banana bread and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before taking it out of the baking tin and slicing.
Banana breads can be preserved for up to 3 months by placing in the freezer.

Coconut Banana Bread
Coconut is also a fantastic way to taking your banana bread to another level; it is definitely a combination you want to try.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut
½ cup coconut powder
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 overripe bananas

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Apply butter inside a loaf pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, mash the bananas together.
Cream the butter and sugar until it is fluffy..
Add the eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla extract and combine.
Add flour, coconut powder, baking powder together and combine, don’t over mix.
Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle shredded coconut on top.
Bake until golden-this takes about 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean then the Banana bread is ready.
Let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before slicing.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
This Double Chocolate Banana Bread is perfect for when you want to indulge yourself. You can also take it a step further by making it a triple chocolate Banana Bread if you add one more layer of chocolate.
Ingredients
1 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3 over ripe bananas
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Apply butter inside a loaf pan and set aside.
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together; flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients together; oil, melted butter, brown sugar, egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Combine and place in the greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chips on top of the Banana loaf
Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or till toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before taking it out.