rich banana bread recipe
### Ingredients:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
– 3/4 cup brown sugar
– 2 large eggs, beaten
– 1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
– 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 4-5 medium bananas)
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
– 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)
### Instructions:
1. **Preheat the Oven**: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
2. **Mix Dry Ingredients**: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. If using cinnamon, add it here.
3. **Cream the Butter and Sugar**: In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. **Add Eggs and Bananas**: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
5. **Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients**: Gradually add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips, if using.
6. **Bake**: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
7. **Cool**: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
### Tips:
– For extra richness, you can add an additional 2 tablespoons of butter or a splash of cream to the batter.
– If you prefer a sweeter loaf, you can increase the sugar to 1 cup.
Enjoy your rich banana bread!