Lately it seems like every Sunday morning I’ve been making banana bread. Either I’m Betty Crocker reincarnated or I bought way too many bananas that ended up going bad. Considering I keep forgetting to bring one to work when I leave in the morning, I can safely say that it’s the latter. But you know what, black bananas are a blessing in disguise…especially after coming up with this recipe. It is by far the best banana bread I’ve ever had, anywhere. You better sit down for this one, because it’s going to blow your mind.
There are two secrets that make this banana bread pretty epic – using bourbon and then mixing oats into the batter. The bourbon provides a smokey depth that plays off the bananas incredibly well (don’t worry, the booze burns off!). You can barely taste it, but you’ll notice when it’s not there. Alcohol is a cool way to add a little extra flavor in your food. So yeah…use booze! The other secret is regular old, run-of-the-mill oats. The oats create an incredible texture that becomes something that can only be described as a chewy bread/cake/cookie hybrid. Honestly, I don’t know why everyone hasn’t been mixing oats into their banana bread since the beginning of time…because I’ll never go back to boring old loafs again. Just make sure to use bananas that have gone past their prime to ensure that you get a rich banana flavor. All that fruit keeps the bread SO moist and scrumptious (annnd the 1/3 cup of butter probably helps too haha).
Each day I’ve been bringing slices into work to have as a mid morning snack. My coworkers consistently say how amazing it smells, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, the subtle scent of whiskey, and (obviously) banana. It’s that fresh baked good smell that everyone LOVES, but amped up to legendary status by the bourbon. Like I just said…it’s the best I’ve ever tasted. My dad has really been diggin’ this banana bread too. Pretty sure we’re neck and neck with how much of this stuff we’ve eaten over the last few weeks. We can’t get enough!
Oh oh! I’ve kind of been playing around with some new layout ideas. What do you guys think of the picture/graphic I whipped up and the slight new picture format? Let me know!
4 bananas
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon whiskey (bourbon)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup oats
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit..
In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and whiskey.
Stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. When combined, add the flour, oats, and pinch of salt.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until center is set.
Cool and then remove from pan.
Serve with coffee/hot chocolate, by itself, or toasted with ice cream.
Enjoy!
2 comments
Ali says:
Dec 7, 2013
Oh my goooodness, this looks absolutely scrumptious! I haven’t made banana bread in so long–mainly because wheat irritates me, haha yay allergies–but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try it with wheat-free flours. :P Easy enough to do, thankfully! This looks moist and dense and I’ll be bookmarking it for when I actually feel like trying to make bread. Awesome recipe, thanks for sharing!
Stephen says:
Dec 8, 2013
Thanks, Ali! It’s a really great recipe. Every so often my brother makes me sneak chocolate chips in it, but I like it as-is. I’ve never made it with wheat-free flours, but definitely come back and let me know how it turns out!