Banana Bread with Espresso

Course: Breads, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: banana, bread

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: slices

Calories: 437kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Make this with or without the added shot of espresso. Muffin and freezing instructions can be found in the notes section.

Print Recipe

Equipment

9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan
hand or stand mixer
sifter

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (2 grams) instant espresso
1 teaspoon (7 grams) baking soda
1 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (220 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon (4 grams) kosher salt
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas peeled and mashed

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
Spray a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray or grease it with melted butter and a light dusting of all-purpose flour.

Combine the Dry Ingredients

Use a whisk to combine the all-purpose flour, instant espresso, baking soda, and ground cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
Once evenly mixed, set the bowl aside.

Begin the Batter

In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the melted butter, sugar, and salt together on low speed for 1 minute.
After 1 minute, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and the beaters.
Blend the butter and sugar mixture again for 3 minutes on speed 3 (or medium speed) on your hand mixer. Stopping the mixer after the first 1 1/2 minutes to scrape down the bowl and the beaters.
After 3 minutes, the mixture will be pale yellow and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl with the butter-sugar mixture and blend them in on medium.
Blend these for another 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beaters after 1 1/2 minutes. The mixture will be pale yellow and thick like mayonnaise.

Add the Bananas and Dry Ingredients

Blend the mashed bananas into the mixture in the bowl at low speed until they are combined, or for 1 minute. The water from the fruit will cause an imbalance in the mixture making it look curdled.
Use a sifter to sift the dry ingredients into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
Mix the flour into the rest of the ingredients at low speed for 1 minute.

Bake the Banana Bread

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use the rubber spatula to smooth the surface of the batter.
Bake the banana bread for 50 minutes to 1 hour. The bread will pull away from the sides of the pan and the top of the loaf will be firm to the touch.
If your bread is still gooey in the top-center of the loaf, continue baking it for 10 minutes. Cover the pan lightly with a piece of aluminum foil if it's getting too dark.

Cool the Banana Bread

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool inside the pan on the countertop for 10 minutes.
Remove the bread from the pan and allow it to cool for 15 minutes (or completely) on a cooling rack.
Serve this recipe warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Add-ins, Swaps, and Substitutions:

To make this gluten-free banana bread, replace the all-purpose flour with One to One Baking Flour.
Swap the ground cinnamon out for ground nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.
Omit the instant espresso for plain banana bread. Replace it with 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, keep the ground cinnamon in the recipe, as well.
Replace the melted unsalted butter with vegetable oil or melted and cooled coconut oil.
To make egg-free banana bread: omit the eggs in this recipe. Replace them with 2 more bananas for a total of 5 bananas.
Add-ins (gently fold in by hand after blending in the dry ingredients). Choose one add-in per batch of banana bread:
- 1 cup (170 grams) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (115 grams) toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 cup (95 grams) coconut flakes

Tips and Techniques:

Use a strong espresso that you'd drink from a mug so the flavor will come through.
The key to tender quick breads is to mix the batter minimally as possible after adding the dry ingredients.
I usually line my pan with parchment paper that I also spray lightly. This helps with the overall appearance of the loaf but is not a requirement.
Don't remove the banana bread from the pan too soon after taking it out of the oven. When you remove quick bread from the pan too soon after taking them out of the oven, you don't allow them time for their structure to set up, so they're likely to break. You also don't want to let them cool too long in the pan, or the heat and moisture created inside the pan might cause it to stick.
Don't store quick bread in the fridge because the cold air causes it to go stale faster.
If you're into meal prepping, this recipe freezes beautifully. On your less-busy days, double the batch and bake two loaves.

Banana Muffins with Espresso:
This recipe bakes one dozen banana bread muffins.

Scoop the prepared batter into a lightly-greased paper cup-lined muffin tin.
Fill the cups up 2/3rds of the way and reduce the baking time to 18-20 minutes.
Cool the muffins for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and serving.

Storage Instructions:

Store banana bread in an airtight container or food storage bag at room temperature for 3 days.
Reheat banana bread in a toaster on the lowest setting for optimal flavor and texture. The toaster method works better than the microwave because it doesn't make it soggy. If you prefer the microwave, heat a slice for 20 seconds on high.

Freezer Instructions:

Cool the banana bread completely.
For individual portions: slice the loaf and freeze the slices laying flat on a sheet pan for 1 hour.
After the slices are frozen, transfer them to a freezer storage bag and freeze them for 2 months. The individual slice freezing method allows your family to take out a slice or two for individual serving options.
To freeze the entire loaf: wrap the banana bread loaf in a layer (or two) of plastic wrap, pop it into a freezer storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. This method of double (or triple) wrapping the quick bread keeps it tasting fresh.
Thaw frozen banana bread at room temperature and reheat as needed.

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