Spiced Banana Bread

Our freezer is overrun with bananas. I’m not sure how it happened, but at some point over the course of the last few years, we accumulated enough overripe bananas to fill several gallon freezer bags.

Nowadays, I always slice excess bananas into pieces before freezing them, then throw them into a blender with almond milk and cocoa powder to make delicious banana ice cream. Or, if the freezer is too full, I use my dehydrator to turn them into chewy banana chips for my kids to snack on.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t tried either of those things until a couple of years ago, and the only thing I could think to do with extra bananas was to throw them into the freezer. And since the bananas in our freezer are mostly whole, unpeeled and far too ripe to be dehydrated or turned into ice cream, I’ve had to find other ways to use them up.

About this Recipe

Thankfully, banana bread is the perfect vehicle for frozen (or fresh) overripe bananas. I’ve used this recipe for years, and while I’ve been told it doesn’t really taste like “classic” banana bread, everyone finds it delicious! Half the flour is whole wheat for extra flavor and nutrition, and my recipe also calls for some added spices and chocolate chips.

The chocolate chips are optional. In fact, I didn’t used to include them at all, and the banana bread still tasted great. But my husband says it’s not banana bread if it doesn’t contain chocolate chips, so I've gotten into the habit of adding them in every time—and I have to admit they're a great addition!

Required Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious spiced banana bread:

• Butter or margarine (we use margarine because it's lactose-free)
• Brown sugar
• Eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Whole wheat flour
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Salt
• Ripe bananas
• Vanilla extract
• Chocolate chips (optional)

How to Make Spiced Banana Bread (Step-by-Step)

1. Prepare Loaf Pan

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a standard 9"x5" loaf pan to prevent the banana bread from sticking.

2. Cream Butter & Sugar

While the oven is preheating, cream one cup of butter and 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar in a large bowl using a whisk or electric mixer.

I generally use a whisk because I find it easier to clean, but an electric mixer might be a better option for you if you're using butter. Alternatively, you could soften the butter before using it to make things easier.

3. Add Eggs

Add in four eggs, one by one, beating until well incorporated.

4. Combine Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, combine one cup of all-purpose flour, one cup of whole wheat flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of cardamom and a pinch of salt. Stir them with a fork until they’re well combined.

5. Add to Wet Ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well between each addition.

6. Mash Up Bananas

In a small bowl, mash up three bananas using a fork.

Note: If you’re using frozen bananas, you’ll have to let them thaw a little before mashing them up, so I recommend taking them out of the freezer before you start making the banana bread. It’s fine if they’re still a little cold, but it might lengthen the cooking time, so be sure to keep that in mind.

7. Add Bananas & Vanilla

Add the mashed bananas to the other ingredients, along with one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

8. Add Chocolate Chips

If you’re adding chocolate chips, pour one cup into a small bowl and coat them in a couple teaspoons of flour. This prevents them from sinking too much.

Once they’re coated, stir them into the banana bread mixture.

9. Bake Banana Bread

Pour the batter into the buttered and floured loaf pan, then place it in the oven and bake it for about 75 minutes, until the top looks cracked and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let it cool down, then take it out of the loaf pan and it’s ready to serve!

Tips & Variations

Make It Lactose-Free

If you're lactose-intolerant or cooking for someone who is, you can make this recipe lactose-free by using lactose-free margarine and chocolate chips. We get both at Costco to save money!

As I write this, Kirkland-brand chocolate chips are not being advertised as lactose-free, but they are made with soya lecithin and don't contain any milk ingredients—though obviously I recommend checking the ingredients before you buy them to make sure that this is still the case!

Make Pumpkin Bread

Since the spices are so similar, I’ve used this same recipe to make pumpkin bread by simply replacing the three bananas with 1 ½ cups of homemade pumpkin purée. It turned out great!