Bananas are a perfect snack and great to have at hand for smoothies. But they quickly overripe. It’s not because they’re covered in brown spots or even start turning black, that they need to be tossed in the trash. Banana bread is always a crowd-pleaser and an easy go-to recipe to help reduce food waste.
Ingredients (serves 6-8)
3-4 ripe bananas
⅓ cup marple syrup
125g butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 170°C (338°F). Mash bananas with a fork or in the blender, add maple syrup and set aside.
2. Mix soft butter and brown sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs and beat well to combine. Add the banana mixture and vanilla.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, bi-carb, and cinnamon and add to the wet mixture. Beat well until fully combined (a bit lumpy is fine).
4. Pour batter into a non-stick or lightly greased bread tin and bake for 45–60 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly if the top is getting too brown. The banana bread is cooked when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool for 30 minutes or so before serving.
Banana bread can be served warm when fresh or toasted with a nob of butter the next day. It also freezes well, so it can also be baked in a muffin tin as a make-ahead lunchbox or school snack.