Best Ever Banana Bread

One banana bread recipe to rule them all! Delicious with this original recipe, but if your family likes variety we have several enticing ways to take this treat to the next level!
Dish type
Dessert
Serves
14
Ready in
1 hour 35 minutes with cooling.

Ingredients

  • 3 large ripe bananas*, mashed (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Ready in
1 hour 35 minutes with cooling.
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Brush 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with additional I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread; set aside.
  3. Combine mashed banana, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with wooden spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Spoon into prepared pan*.
  4. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan and cool completely. If desired, top with Vanilla Glaze.
  5. TIP: To change it up, try one of the following delicious variations and bake as directed in recipe: Almond-Espresso-Banana Bread: Stir 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds and 1/4 cup instant espresso powder into batter. Berry-Nutty Whole Wheat Banana Bread: Substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. Stir 1 cup assorted fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries, 1/2 cup unsalted mixed nuts, chopped, and 1/4 cup flax seeds into batter. Blueberry-Lemon Banana Bread: Stir 1 cup fresh blueberries and 1 tsp. grated lemon peel into batter. Delicious with Lemon Glaze. Chocolate-Banana Bread: Stir 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into batter, then 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, and bake as directed in recipe. Delicious with Chocolate Glaze. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Stir 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 2/3 cup peanut butter chips into batter. Delicious with Chocolate Glaze. Coconut-Ginger-Banana Bread: Stir 1 cup toasted, shredded sweetened flaked coconut and 3 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger into batter. Delicious with Lime Glaze. Cranberry-Orange Pumpkin-Spice Banana Bread: Stir 1 cup dried cranberries, 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (Pumpkin pie spice is sold in jars in the supermarket. You can create your own by mixing 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg or allspice, and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves) and 1 tsp. grated orange peel into batter. Delicious with Orange Glaze. Gluten Free Banana Bread: USE gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour and stir in 2/3 cup gluten free rolled oats. Triple Chocolate-Banana Bread: Stir 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/3 cup chopped white chocolate into batter. Delicious with Chocolate Glaze or Vanilla Glaze. White Chocolate-Cherry-Banana Bread: Stir 1/3 cup chopped dried cherries and 1/3 cup chopped white chocolate into batter. Delicious with Vanilla Glaze. Whole Wheat Banana Bread: Use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. French Toast Banana Bread: Stir in 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon and 1-1/2 tsp. maple extract.
  6. TIP: For a delicious Vanilla Glaze, combine 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 Tbsp. melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread and 4 to 5 tsp. warm water. Spread over top of cooled banana bread. Lemon Glaze: Stir 1 tsp. grated lemon peel into Vanilla Glaze. Lime Glaze: Stir 1 tsp. grated lime peel into Vanilla Glaze. Orange Glaze: Stir 1 tsp. grated orange peel into Vanilla Glaze. Chocolate Glaze: Combine 1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar and 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder. Stir in 2 Tbsp. warm water and 1 Tbsp. melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Spread and stir until smooth.
  7. TIP: To ripen bananas quickly, bake unpeeled bananas on baking sheet at 350°, about 15 minutes or until skins have blackened. Slice skins open and scoop out banana.
  8. * To make mini loaves, prepare recipe as directed above dividing batter evenly between three (approximately 5 3/4 x 3-inch each) mini loaf pans and bake 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. To make muffins, prepare recipe as directed above. Spoon into greased 12-cup muffin pan. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

Nutritional Information

Serving Size
1 serving
Per Serving
Calories 210, Calories Fat 70, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 2.5g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 250mg, Carbohydrate 31g, Protein 3g
Serving Size1 serving
Calories210
Calories Fat70
Total Fat8g
Saturated Fat2.5g
Trans Fat0g
Cholesterol25mg
Sodium250mg
Carbohydrate31g
Fiber1g
Sugars15g
Protein3g
Vitamin A15%
Vitamin C4%
Calcium2%
Iron6%