Banana Bread Recipe

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang for easy removal.

Mash Bananas

Peel and place ripe bananas in a large bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps, measuring about 1 1/2 cups.

Combine Wet Ingredients

To the mashed bananas add the melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt). Whisk until homogenous and slightly glossy.

Mix Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed.

Combine Wet & Dry

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and gently fold with a spatula just until combined. If the batter seems very thick, add up to 2 tablespoons milk to loosen; do not overmix. Fold in the chopped nuts if using.

Bake

Transfer batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Cool

Remove loaf from oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf out and transfer to the rack to cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing. For warm-slice serving, allow 20–30 minutes cooling so slices hold shape.

Warm Caramel (optional)

If your caramel sauce is chilled or very thick, warm it gently: place the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat with 1 tablespoon butter, stirring until smooth and pourable (about 2–3 minutes). Do not boil. Alternatively microwave in 15-second bursts, stirring between, until pourable.

Plate

Slice the banana bread into 8 even slices. Place one warm or room-temperature slice on each plate. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream beside or on top of the warm slice so it softens slightly.

Finish with Caramel

Drizzle about 2 tablespoons (approx. 30–40 ml) of warm caramel sauce over the ice cream and bread per serving. If using sea salt, sprinkle a light pinch (about 1/16–1/8 tsp) over the caramel for contrast.

Dust each plate lightly with powdered sugar if desired and top with a small mint sprig for color. Serve immediately so the ice cream and warm bread create a pleasing contrast.