Words fail to express my family’s love for banana bread. I owe this passion to my neighbor, who first introduced me to her irresistible banana bread creations about 5 years ago. That’s when my love affair with banana bread began, and it’s still going strong to this day. 🙂
So, why is banana bread such a favorite in our house? Mostly because it’s a quick and easy way to give my 8-year-old son a nourishing snack before he heads off to his sports practice. You might wonder, “Does she really bake banana bread every single day just for that?” Definitely not! The trick lies in preparing 2–3 loaves at once, slicing them up, and freezing the pieces layered with parchment paper. When snack time rolls around, I simply pop a slice into the toaster, pack it up, and we’re out the door. Easy-breezy, right?
I’ve been surprised to hear from friends that it never occurred to them that banana bread can be frozen and reheated in a toaster. Their main concern is often the wear and tear on the toaster or whether the bread will crumble. After a few years of regular banana-bread-toasting, I can confidently say our toaster is still alive and well—it’s just like any other bread, after all. 🙂 As for crumbling, it all comes down to baking it at the right temperature. At 180°C for 60 minutes, you’ll get a beautifully moist, soft loaf that reheats like a dream. Baking it at 200°C, however, can leave it slightly dry, which might cause crumbling after toasting the freezed slice.
I almost always keep a stash of banana bread slices in the freezer. They’re primarily for my son and daughter, as I’ve learned the hard way that an empty stomach makes them a bit of a handful. 😀 But, truth be told, I keep some for myself too. I just adore banana bread! It’s essentially like cake, but lighter. And after toasting, that crispy crust is pure heaven. Pair it with a good cup of coffee, and voilà—a perfect dessert. Divine.
The taste is truly delightful, and even the neighborhood kids agree. Whenever I bring banana bread to the little ones playing outside, it’s gone within minutes. All that’s left are curious eyes asking, “That’s all there was?” And what mom wouldn’t feel proud seeing kids enjoy a treat packed with fiber instead of riding a sugar high?
This recipe was developed in collaboration with nutritionist Jaanika Tapver and was first published in Pere ja Kodu in September 2021. If you take a closer look, you’ll notice that I use olive oil instead of butter. Following Jaanika’s advice, we swapped out saturated fats for unsaturated ones, making the recipe more balanced.
For the best results, use bananas that are slightly overripe with brown spots—those on their last leg are ideal. It’s a perfect way to save bananas from the trash and turn them into something delicious. Let’s reduce food waste together and bake some banana bread! 🙂
Banana Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
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Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork. Transfer the banana puree into a large bowl, add olive oil, eggs, coconut palm sugar and spices. Mix thoroughly.
Mix flour and baking soda in a separate bowl and gradually add this dry mixture to your batter.
Pour your batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 180°C for 60 minutes.
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Once the banana bread is ready, slice it. The remaining slices can be stored in the freezer (place parchment paper between slices to prevent them from sticking together) and thawed in a toaster when you're in for a sweet treat.
Note
- My bread pan is 20 cm long, 9 cm wide and 9 cm deep. With a pan of this size, you can make two breads from this recipe. It's generally a good idea to make two at a time so you can eat one immediately and slice the other for the freezer. If you only want to make one loaf, halve the recipe quantities.
