This banana bread recipe is an adaptation of a recipe I grew up with as a kid! My mom would always split the batches into two parts – one with nuts and one without (for me).
The recipe is delicious. It’s just the way I think banana bread should be: moist, dense, and intensely flavorful.
In the past, I’ve used this for banana bread French toast, I’ve cut it into small cubes and used it as “croutons” with yogurt and granola, and I’ve seared it on the flat-top grill and served it with cherry ice cream for dessert. I’m sure there are plenty of other delicious uses for it. This bread never lasts long in my kitchen!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter, Softened – ¾ Cup
- Cream Cheese, Softened – 8 ounce
- Chocolate Cherry Jam – ½ Cup
- White Sugar – 1 Cup
- Brown Sugar – 1 Cup
- Whole Eggs – 2 Each
- Medium, Ripened, Mashed Bananas – 4-5 Each
- Vanilla Extract – ½ teaspoon
- All-Purpose Flour – 3 Cups
- Baking Powder – ½ teaspoon
- Baking Soda – ½ teaspoon
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
Directions
- In a small mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and Chocolate Cherry Jam on medium speed until creamy and thoroughly mixed. Gradually add sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time just until blended after each.
- From this point on, take care not to over-mix during your mixing steps, or the banana bread will not rise properly.
- Add mashed bananas and vanilla extract to mixer and mix just until blended.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix together with a fork. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture at low speed, just until incorporated. Spoon batter into greased and floured pans.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
- Shield the loaves with tin foil for the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent browning.
- Allow to cool on a rack for 30 minutes.
