Ingredients:

  • ½ cups Very Ripe Bananas, mashed (about 3-4 large)
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
  • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • Large Eggs, room temperature
  • ¼ cup Sour Cream or Full-Fat Greek Yogurt
  • teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
  • teaspoon Baking Soda
  • teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ cup Walnuts or Pecans (optional, chopped)
  • ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it lengthwise with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. In a small bowl, thoroughly mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and packed brown sugar together using a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract and sour cream/yogurt until just combined, then stir in the mashed bananas.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix gently using a spatula only until just combined. Stop mixing immediately once no streaks of dry flour remain; do not overmix.
  7. Gently fold in any optional nuts or chocolate chips.
  8. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  9. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the loaf out using the parchment sling (or invert it) and allow it to cool completely on the wire rack before slicing to ensure the best texture.