Best-Ever Banana Bread

Alyson Stringer (originally from Lauren Sargent Cooley)

Yield: 12 servings

This is one of those breads … if you make it, they’ll ask for the recipe. This banana bread is moist, and it’s wonderful warmed or toasted for breakfast. Great for Christmas gifts too! (Nov 2010)

1 3/4 cups flour 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1 tsp soda 

1/2 tsp salt 

2 eggs 

2-3 med-ripe bananas, mashed 

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Sift the flour, sugar, soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Combine egg mixture with the flour mixture, and stir until moistened. Fold in nuts. 

Pour into two greased medium loaf pans or one large loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar before baking. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

NOTE: This bread freezes well when double wrapped in heavy-duty aluminum foil.