Super Banana Bread

Fine leather, fancy cheese, and all things (including this banana bread) get better with time.

"All things get better with time"

Isn't that true? A bad grade on a test, a misunderstanding with a friend, a totally embarrassing situation... they all seem a little less terrible the next day. That's one of the magical things about this banana bread. As tempting and delicious as it is right out of the oven with a nice pat of cinnamon butter on top, it is miraculously even better after chilling out in the fridge for a day.

What makes this banana bread so special? It's a couple things.

First, it has six whole bananas in it. If you've made banana bread before, chances are there were only 2-3 bananas in there. That's double the banana-y goodness! Additionally, the added sweetness from those extra bananas allow us to add a lot less sugar to this recipe than normal.

Bananas are rich in potassium and fiber -- which make them a great post-workout snack to help alleviate muscle soreness. Some scientists believe that they also may help prevent high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes! So let's throw a few extra bananas in here for good measure.

Second, I love to sprinkle in a lot of warm, tingly spices into this bread -- cinnamon (my favorite), cloves, and nutmeg. The added flavors from the spice also allow us to add a bit less sugar to this recipe. Win-win situation!

Third, this recipe is highly adaptable! You can throw in chocolate chips, coconut flakes, whatever floats your (banana) boat!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

6 mashed medium overripe bananas

Optional: 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten, do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips (or any other add-ins). Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.