Tag: Best banana bread

Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread

This Elvis-inspired “Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread” is a divine creation that features sweet and salty elements and great texture contrasts. It bakes perfectly too, coming out tender, yet firm enough to put on a stick. Among the judge’s comments: “very clever idea, delicious, and so state fair like.” We 100% agree.

Divine Elvis on a Stick

 

This recipe won first place in the Blue Ribbon Banana Bread Contest at the 2021 Minnesota State Fair. Karen Cope created it for the competition, trying several variations and testing them on neighbors before settling on this entry.

Karen is a perennial winner who took home her first county fair blue ribbon when she was just 9 years old. She wins a $100 King Arthur Baking Company gift card.

Step By Step Recipe Overview

The toothsome treat is fun to make with kids and is easier than you think.

Bacon Cooked, Reserved Bacon Grease

First off, you fry up the bacon crisp. Or leave it out if you’re not a fan. We’ve tasted it both ways, and both are phenomenal. Next you chop the bacon into small bits and set it aside as one of the toppings.

Bacon chopped for Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread

Next, prep your pans (grease, line with parchment), measure out your ingredients and set the oven to pre-heat to 350°F.

I love my stand-up mixture as it does the “heavy lifting” so well, an in blending ingredients smooth.

In this pic, I’ve already blended the bacon grease, butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. I’m about to mashed my bananas.

I wish my bananas were more ripe than ^these^ ones shown above, but sometimes that’s all the grocery store has.

Perfectly Ripe Bananas for Banana Bread

In my opinion, this is the ^ideal ripeness^ for banana bread. You could even go a bit more ripe. The aroma is very banana-y at this stage.

Mashed Bananas for Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread

On this test run, I ended up doing a banana puree with an immersion blender with mine to eliminate bigger lumps. Once you combine the bananas with the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda, you only need to mix in the flour, and half your chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. (You are saving the other half for drizzling.)

Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread - Prepped IngredientsMix only until just combined. Divide mixture between the two prepared pans. Batter will be quite thick, so level it out in the pan.

Batter in Pan - Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown and edges start to pull away from the sides. Tip: if you only have 8-inch cake pans, use them, and bake about 10 minutes longer. A toothpick inserted into center should come out clean, without chocolate. Cool on wire rack.

Toppings for Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread

The last step is fun. You cut the bread into 16 servings, insert the wide, wooden sticks (3/4 inch wide is ideal), then do your toppings.

  • Melted peanut butter chips (with shortening)
  • Melted chocolate chips (with shortening)
  • Chopped peanuts (Planters, honey-roasted)
  • Chopped banana chips (Trader Joe’s)
  • Bacon pieces

Tah Dah!

Elvis on a Stick

Now you have the best-ever banana bread to enjoy: Peanut Butter Bacon Banana Bread, Elvis on a Stick!

Happy noshing!

-Cyndi

 

Best Banana Bread Recipe

There’s a reason this Best Banana Bread Recipe is an award winner. It makes the best homemade banana bread ever!

Best Banana Bread Recipe - Sliced

Everyone I know loves a thick slice of this classic quick bread, as in quick to make, no yeast needed.

This recipe makes a tender, flavorful, and aromatic bread. I love mine, slightly warm, with a smear of peanut butter.

Recipe credit goes to Marge Knight who placed second at the Erie County Fair by Buffalo, New York (Aug 11-22, 2021). Marge ‘s recipe was from a Clabber Girl Baking Contest we ran in 2001.  Yes, we went deep into our archives for this one! It’s such a classic!

Homemade Banana Bread - Cut

Classic Bread, Staple Ingredients

The key to success and baking the best banana bread is simple. It’s ripe bananas. Maybe even a bit over-ripe. I like to use ones where the skin has turned brown in spots and the banana scent is strongest. Here’s what you need in total for this recipe. No surprises.

  • bananas (of course =)
  • sugar
  • butter
  • eggs
  • water
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt

Make sure your baking soda and powder are fresh enough to do the heavy lifting in this recipe.

Banana Bread Loaves-Glass & Metal Pans

Metal or Glass?

The above shot shows two loaves I recently baked: one in a metal pan, the other in glass. I like the look of the bread baked in a rectangle pan. The squared off edges make for a nice appearance, however, I prefer the glass pan for how evenly the bread bakes. Look at how evenly and perfect it bakes all the way through.

Best Banana Bread - Slice - Close-up

This best banana bread recipe is one you can go to time and time again. It’s also a good launching point for adding mix-ins. Chocolate chips are always a big hit. Coconut might be my favorite addition. I know some people are coconut averse, but it’s a go-to ingredient for me.

Nuts can get a mixed response with my family, but they do give a nice texture contrast. And a lot of people like them: walnuts, pecans etc.  I also like blueberries added to banana bread for pops of sweetness. We’ll also share a blue ribbon winning recipe for that version coming up, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, hit the kitchen and bake this best banana bread recipe. We also featured this banana bread with Greek yoghurt in it and banana pudding mix. You’ll love that one too. Both are so moist and yummy. Homemade, baked-from-scratch banana bread is the best! Enjoy!

-Cyndi

 

 

Banana Bread

Banana bread was one of the first things I baked as a kid. Just thinking about a thick slice smeared with peanut butter gets me drooling every time. My mother always let me be the one to mash the bananas and I did so, by hand, with fervor and might. I still love that preparation step. And I especially love how the kitchen smells with a loaves in the oven.

Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of variations on classic banana bread. My go-to for many years was a recipe using applesauce instead of butter. I also loved the indulgent version that added chocolate chips. Bread for dessert; bring it on!  And how about coconut? That is a favorite of mine. While others like walnuts or some other texture contrast, I most often prefer adding in coconut or doing any simple version, as long as its sensationally moist and banana-y bread.

So when this “Best of Show” quick bread recipe came in from the Indiana State Fair, I was all about trying it!  You’ll love the texture and taste you get by using Greek yogurt.  Use either vanilla or a banana flavor. The pudding mix is a wonderful enhancement as well.

Blue Ribbon Banana Bread – Best in Show

This blue ribbon winning banana bread recipe comes from Teresa Grissom. She won at the Indiana State Fair, Best of Show in the Quick Bread category (2016). Best of Show – for those not in the know – is when a person wins out of all the entries in its category. It means Teresa mastered the techniques needed to make her entry stand out from all the other banana breads. And her ingredient combination nailed it for best taste and texture. So… the bottom line is… this recipe is an award winner…and ready to be baked by you. So hit the kitchen and go bananas.

-Cyndi