Banana bread made with oil exists because vegetable oil keeps baked goods moist longer than butter. But oil has no flavour — the moistness comes at the cost of any fat-derived taste. Brown butter in banana bread gives you the moistness of fat while adding caramelised milk-solid flavour that complements banana's sweetness in the same way that salted caramel complements it — it deepens and enriches without overwhelming.
Butter Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas — the skin should be almost entirely black
- 115g (½ cup) grass-fed butter
- 150g (¾ cup) caster or white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 100g (¾ cup) roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
Method
- Brown the butter: cook in a light-coloured pan over medium heat until the milk solids turn golden and the smell is nutty. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 23×13cm (9×5 inch) loaf tin.
- Mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork — the riper, the better.
- Whisk the brown butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the mashed banana.
- Fold in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Add walnuts if using.
- Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 60-65 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Is banana bread seed oil free?
Yes with butter. Most commercial and recipe banana bread uses vegetable or canola oil as the fat.
What if my bananas aren't ripe enough?
Bake whole unpeeled bananas at 180°C for 20 minutes until the skins are black and the bananas have caramelised inside. Cool before using.
How long does it keep?
3-4 days at room temperature, wrapped. Freezes well for 3 months — slice before freezing.
Follow Savannah: @theefoodiekitchen · All Links
African, Hawaiian, Indian, Mediterranean, Asian, Exotic, Chicken, Rice, Cookies, Coffee, Spices, Plants, World Cuisine, 30-Minute Dinners and more.
View All 23 Books on Amazon →