Whoever invented Banana Bread should have received a Nobel Prize. It’s a luscious and soul-warming amalgam of bananas, vanilla, cinnamon and chunky walnuts. And really, try to think of another food that gets better as it blackens?! Its flavors concentrate and explode as it sweetly ripens. The word, which hasn’t changed or been altered from its original ‘baanana’ is from the West African language, Wolof, spoken in Senegal, Mauritania and Gambia.

Here is my take on banana bread:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tbsp ground cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon flavor) you can def add less.

1 tsp of Nutmeg (I love nutmeg in my b-bread some don’t, don’t add it if you don’t like it)

1/4 cup of molasses (optional, but I find it gives it a deeper banana flavor)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together well or sift together works too!

Then, in a separate bowl

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup oil

Mix together well using an electric mixer then add

2 bananas, mashed

1 cup of crushed pineapple (totally optional but I like it sometimes)

2 tbsp vanilla extract

Now using a wooden spoon slowly incorporate the dry and wet ingredients.  Don’t over mix, then add 2 huge handfuls of walnuts or almonds or both. It’s about 3 cups.  I like my banana bread very nutty!

Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes.  I always over bake my banana bread so make sure you watch it in the last 5 minutes or so.

ENJOY!