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Bananas seem to have an almost supernatural way of turning from green, hard, and not-quite-ripe to “Oh no, brown spots are forming” while you’re not looking.
Thank goodness you can freeze them or use them immediately to make quick and yummy banana bread.
If you want a go-to version of this sweet bread, the Martha Stewart banana bread recipe is a delicious classic. Stewart’s version dates back to her first cookbook, “Entertaining,” which came out in 1982. She’s been making it ever since.
The Martha Stewart banana bread recipe stands out for its inclusion of sour cream for a “subtle tang and super moist texture,” according to her website.
Stewart recommends that you avoid using brown or bruised bananas — but you’ll still want “really ripe” bananas. For those that like nuts, she prefers to put pecans in her bread and make sure they are finely chopped.
Her recipe involves combining butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract as well, then baking for an hour and 10 minutes. You can also create a filled version with cream cheese frosting, as featured on “The Martha Stewart Show.”
The Martha Stewart banana bread recipe has 4 out of 5 stars from 3,221 ratings on the recipe page, with reviewers raving about it being moist, light and a favorite to make.
If you’re looking for a banana bread option that encourages even mushier bananas, try Sweet + Savory by Shinee’s version. She actually encourages using frozen bananas that are defrosted. Why?
“Because when thawed, bananas get super mushy and liquidy,” Shinee writes. “And all (those) juices are gold! Don’t throw out the liquid, it makes the bread moist and flavorful.”
Nichole of The Salty Marshmallow also loves to use bananas that are past their prime.
“The riper the bananas, the more moist your bread will be and the more banana flavor it will have!” she says.
To keep your banana bread moist the longest, Nichole also recommends that you tightly wrap your cooked banana bread in plastic wrap and then seal that in a plastic bag or storage container.
What stage of ripeness do you like your bananas to be for banana bread?
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