Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups very ripe bananas, mashed (about 3 large)
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup full-fat sour cream or plain yogurt
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard 9x5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang.
  2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream/yogurt until just combined.
  3. In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until thoroughly incorporated.
  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold them together just until no streaks of dry flour remain. Do not overmix.
  5. If using nuts, gently fold them in quickly now.
  6. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the top.
  7. Bake for 50–60 minutes. The loaf is ready when a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with moist crumbs attached. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent it with foil.
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.