The easiest banana bread recipe

PSA: I won’t, and never will, proclaim to be an avid chef or baker in my lifetime.

Yes, I love the comfort of a home cooked meal at my house or the smells of a fresh baked confection almost ready to come out of the oven. 

But I’m also a career woman who has the luxury of not always having to be at home, allowing me to indulge in trying the latest restaurants, bakeries and other food destinations that pop-up in town. So in my long list of life ambitions, food blogger/restauranteur probably isn't going to make an entrance on my CV.

Another life ambition that has been a constant struggle bus for me is eating enough fruits and vegetables before they go bad. And no fruit turns nasty faster than the beloved banana. I’ve shared previously how I love to freeze them once they go off, and I’m back with another recipe to share when the frozen ones start to take over the freezer. 

This banana bread recipe is everything you want a banana bread to be, moist, flavorful and beyond easy to make (the buttermilk is key). And since the recipe makes two loaves, it's super easy to cut in half or even easier to gift your friends or neighbor with a loaf of their own. 

Adapted from this recipe from Betty Crocker.

The Easiest Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 to 4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches. (I used a toaster over to bake this!)
2. Mix sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon just until moistened. Pour into pans. (I baked these one at a time in the toaster oven.)
3. Bake loaves about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan and place top side up on wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.