Olive Oil Banana Bread

Ok, I know it sounds weird, it’s not, I promise!!

Is there anyone out there that didn’t make banana bread during quarantine? Funny enough, I have been testing out recipes for banana bread for years and finally locked one in. I have a recipe for banana muffins on here, but it definitely doesn’t translate into a loaf recipe.

It’s the olive oil, my friends, that’s the answer! Lots of banana bread recipes ask for oil and it puts me in a weird situation because I like how oil makes it moist but it doesn't add any value in terms of flavor. Coconut oil could potentially work, but then I feel like I should be on a tropical vacation with the mix of bananas and coconut. I would use melted butter, which is great for flavor but isn’t as moist as I would like. So, the moral of the story is, I tried some olive oil, and BOOM, heaven!

This is an easy recipe and a good one to make with your kids!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt, I like using kosher

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 2-3 bananas

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

How to make Olive Oil Banana Bread From Scratch

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg, mashed banana, olive oil, sour cream, and vanilla to combine.

Add the flour mixture into the banana mixture using a whisk to stir until just combined being careful not to over-mix.

Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with cooking spray; it also helps to line it with parchment and spray it (I don’t always do this but it’s a safe way to make sure the loaf comes out of the pan easily).

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 60-90 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the loaf to cool for about 15-20 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool on a cooling rack.