i had an excess amount of bananas. beautifully browned, perfect for baking. my grandma was seeking ‘baked goods’ for a gift for a friend. sounds like i’d be making banana bread!
while i do love banana bread i often find it a bit boring… or standard… so i decided to mix things up!
i used this recipe as the base for all my banana breads. it’s super simple and super tasty. i made a total of four batches.
batch # - the standard banana bread. just added a splash of vanilla.
batch # 2 - blueberry banana bread. again using the standard recipe to start, i added the zest of one lemon plus about a cup and a half of blueberries.
batch # 3- chocolate chip banana bread. standard recipe plus a cup of mini chocolate chips. everything is better with a little chocolate. right?
batch # 4 – tropical banana bread. this is when i got really creative! again start with that standard recipe, expect i only used about half the cinnamon. then i added one of those small cans of crushed pineapple and about 3/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut.
talk about yum!
all of these really spiced up the basic banana bread. i was also going to add peanut butter or peanut butter chips to the next loaf, but i ran out of bananas. an idea for next time i suppose.
what interesting things have you added to your favorite banana bread recipe?
Michael,
Blueberry banana bread is sooo gooood.
I always put some vanilla or nutmeg in my banana bread. Just makes it better.
ok, my mouth is watering from your yummy pics and descriptions! oh how i’d like a piece right now with a cup of tea.
thanks for sharing the extras you added in.
judi
Yum! Yum! Yum!!!
Seriously, Banana bread is close to being my favorite food group..
(we can call it a food group, right??
Thanks for sharing your special additions… think I will go & bake….
yummo… yes everything is definitely better with chocolate and that banana SPLIT bread sounds divine!
i’m now wondering if i could get away with hiding all the bananas in the homestead. i LOVE me some chocolate chip banana bread. especially when it is full of cinnamon & black pepper. yeah, you read that right. black pepper!
the tropical bread sounds amazing!
I have had horrible luck with banana bread, I think the size of the pan matters. I guess size does matter.
The recipe I normally use from my Southern Living cookbook calls for a big can (14 oz.?) of crushed pineapple. I love it this way & always get compliments on it.
Blueberries sound great too! I wonder how strawberries would taste?
Yum! I know plain old banana bread can be boring. Love banana with chocolate chips. Love your variations I’m going to have to try these.
If you are looking for other breads I found an apricot puree bread recipe online but since I didn’t have apricot I used applesauce. It was moist and sweet something new to try.
YES! This was my plan this weekend.
Can’t wait to make the tropical version
Yummo yummykins. Feel free to drop a loaf in the mail.
My guys are all banana fiends…so my nanners rarely make it to brown. May have to hide a few.
LOVE banana bread – yours looks delish! How fun that you changed up the recipes
my mom sometimes added pecan nuts and I never liked it as a child – but now I do the same – and luv it!!! Your variations looks great, especially the blueberries!
These look so delicious! I like to add chopped candied ginger or dark chocolate chips. Banana bread is so versatile. I like your peanut butter idea.
I’ll be honest. I completely suck at baking but I like baking banana bread because it is very forgiving of my poor measuring skills! I like to add a little plain yogurt for extra moisture. My neighbor adds cocoa powder which makes it more like a cake – especially if you also add chocolate chips. BANANA CAKE!
Ooh, that tropical one sounds amazing! I’ve never been adventurous with my banana bread but I used to love banana peanut butter smoothies, so I’m thinking pb would be a delicious addition.
Your banana bread looks delicious! I love that tablecloth. It is too cute!
I had just about given up hope on making another banana bread. Thank you for the inspiration and recipe! Please visit my banana bread at http://twogingerprinces.blogspot.com/
Hey there! Just found your blog from over at Tatter Tots & Jello. I love your ideas for switching up banana bread! our post made me hungry. If it wasn’t 10:00 at night & I wasn’t feeling so lazy, then I’d go make some right now
Enjoy your weekend!
~Mary
Banana, blueberries, AND chocolate! How can you go wrong!! If you get a sec, pop on over to Foodie Friday and link up! Oh, and I found you on Tatertots and Jello!
My all time favorite sweet bread is the, “Pineapple Macadamia Nut Bread” from , “Harry and David’s.” I’ve never tried to make a similar bread but your Banana bread with pineapple and coconut sounds wonderful! I guess I’ll just have to get experimenting… By the way, macadamia nut’s would be a great addition to your tropical banana bread.
I sometimes add, chopped dried fruits in mine (cherries, raisins, cranberries, etc) the kids LOVE it that way..
I make a strawbrry kiwi banana bread it bakes better in smaller loaves because there is so much moisture