When you're looking for something quick, easy, no-fuss, classic, hearty, healthy, and kid-friendly that's *also* flexible enough to be served as breakfast or dessert, grab a few ripe bananas and you're on your way to baking a loaf of this super moist banana bread. It's not an exaggeration to call this recipe a dream come true: the final product is packed with tons of banana flavor and just enough spice, the recipe is flexible when it comes to ingredients, and thanks to whole wheat flour, it's an easy way to get your daily whole grains in.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well blended.
2. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk or water, and vanilla. Add egg mixture and melted butter to dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated.
3. If bananas aren't extra ripe and soft, cut into chunks and microwave for 45-60 seconds to soften. Using a fork, mash bananas fairly well, leaving a few slightly larger chunks instead of mashing fully into a purée (this is a great step for kids to help with!).
4. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir mashed bananas into batter, followed by chocolate chips and/or nuts (if using) until evenly distributed.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the center feels set when gently pressed. If the top starts getting to dark during baking, simply tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake time.
6. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before carefully turning the loaf out to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Nellie's Notes

There's plenty of wiggle room when it comes to the quantity of bananas in this recipe, so if your 4 bananas yield 1 3/4 cups or 2 1/4 cups mashed, don't worry about adjusting. Just use what you have, and your loaf will still turn out great!

Don't have white whole wheat flour or looking for a more classic flavor profile? Simply substitute all-purpose flour in place of the whole wheat. Alternatively, use classic whole wheat flour in place of the white whole wheat to yield an even heartier loaf with a nuttier flavor.

All out of brown sugar? Just swap for white sugar in an equal amount!

Looking for a dairy-free alternative? Vegetable oil can be used in place of butter, and you can select a non-dairy alternative for your liquid such as almond milk or just plain water.

If you like your banana bread with the robust flavor of spices, you can double the amounts called for in the recipe for an extra kick of cinnamon and nutmeg!