Banana Almond Streusel Bread

You think I’d learn! I always buy too many bananas when my kids and grandkids come, but when my cousins came for a sleepover, I thought for sure I wouldn’t have any leftovers. Senior citizens are supposed to eat bananas!

I bought 3 bananas and all 3 were uneaten.

So I made this, which is awesome.

This would be a good choice to end Rosh Hashanah dinner or for Break-the-fast.

Banana Almond Streusel Bread

Streusel:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup chopped almonds

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

 Bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)

• 2 large eggs

• 3 medium very ripe bananas

• 1/2 cup almond (or other non-dairy) milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”´5”´3” loaf pan. Make the streusel by mixing the flour, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the coconut oil and work it into the dry ingredients with fingers or a knife until mixture is crumbly. Set aside. 

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mash the bananas and add them to the mixture. Beat thoroughly until the ingredients are well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Beat in the almond milk and vanilla extract. Fold in the almonds. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the streusel on top. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a cake rack.

Makes 10-12 servings

Banana Chocolate Muffins

Before my cousins came for a long visit over the Memorial Day weekend I stocked up on all the foods they loved. We ate most of it, but Leslie told me that Neil also needed foods with potassium so I bought several bananas.

He ate a few.

Still. I bought too many. As usual. There were 3 left over.

So, banana muffins. These, with chocolate because, why not?

banana chocolate Muffins

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed

• 3/4 cup water

• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10 muffin tins. Melt the chocolate and set it aside to cool. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil together in an electric mixer at medium speed for a minute or so or until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to blend ingredients thoroughly. Add the bananas and mix them in. Add the dry ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend them in thoroughly. Combine the water and cider vinegar, pour into the batter and beat the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Fill muffin tins with equal amounts of the batter. Spoon equal amounts of chocolate on top of each and use a knife to swirl some chocolate into each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 15 minutes before removing them.

Makes 10

Banana Crunch Cake

I am always amazed at the amount of fruit that I buy -- and that is consumed -- when my children and grandkids come. Quarts of berries of all kinds. Mangoes, pineapples, grapes and kiwi fruit. In season, also stone fruit such as peaches, fresh apricots, plums and so on.

Plus oranges, clementines, grapefruit.

Apples of course.

And bananas. Lots of bananas.

Usually I am left with nothing, which is why I am always amazed, just at the sheer quantity of what has been eaten.

And I am not complaining at the lack of leftovers! Eating fruit is a good thing. Glad my family is good with that.

IF and when I have leftover bananas I use them for banana bread or cake. I have so many different recipes it's difficult to choose one or another, so I often come up with something new.

Like this. The crunchy crust gets it one step beyond homey, making this suitable for company.

 

Banana Crunch Cake

Crust:

• 1 cup crushed raisin bran or similar flakes
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons liquid coconut oil (or use melted butter)

Combine the cereal, oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the coconut oil and mix until the dry ingredients are thoroughly coated. Set aside. 

Cake:

• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Make the crust and set it aside. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a small bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the vegetable shortening and sugar together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until creamy and well blended. Add the eggs and bananas and beat the ingredients for another 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Mix the water and lemon juice together. Add the flour mixture alternating with the lemon-water and blend in ingredients thoroughly. Stir in the vanilla extract. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Cover the top evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 12-16 servings

Banana Chocolate Cake

My grandson wanted to bake a cake with me. I think he actually liked the licking-out-the-bowl part the best and I actually was most thrilled that he came up with the idea about combining banana bread and chocolate cake.

I looked through my recipes for endless variations of banana bread. And chocolate cake. I fooled around with them, combining this and that from several of the recipes and came up with the one here. It's dairy-free, so his sister, my 3-1/2 year-old grand daughter, could eat some too. And we added some chocolate chips, just for good measure.

He did like the licking-out-the-bowl thing.

He also told me the cake was too dry. But I think that was because the temperature indicator on my oven has been cleaned so often for so many years that the numbers have disappeared and I can only estimate the proper cooking temperature. I do have an oven thermometer but that also needs "updating." so I don't know if the cake baked at exactly the right temperature.

Also, I forgot to set the timer.

Anyway, everyone else declared the cake delicious. Even my grandson said it was and would want it again when I finally decide what oven I want to get to replace the old one.

So here it is, the creation.

Banana Cocoa Chocolate Chip Cake

• 1-3/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch (8-cup) bundt pan. Mix the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon and baking soda together in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the shortening and sugar at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the bananas and blend them in thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and blend them in thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and beat until batter is well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 16-18 servings

Banana Spice Cake

Break-the-Fast desserts aren't typically gooey or loaded with sugar or dripping with icing. This is the time for lighter treats. Babka and Zimsterne cookies rather than chocolate cake with caramel sauce. 

So I made banana cake for the upcoming holiday.

To go with the rugelach, mandel bread and butter cookies. 

This version is moist and gently spicy to give it a hint of autumn. It's also rich and sweet without being heavy and cloying.

Freezable too. 

Banana Yogurt Spice Cake

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a (10-inch) 8-cup bundt pan. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer set at medium speed, beat the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes or until well blended. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat for one minute or until thoroughly blended. Add the bananas and yogurt and mix for 1-2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix until the batter is thoroughly blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove to a cake rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-16 servings

I think I could make banana bread in my sleep.

Because I make banana bread so often it's like watching "Dave" for the umpteenth time. I know exactly what's coming next. I know what to expect. I like it.

I always buy bananas and then no one eats them except for maybe on a rare occasion, and then the bananas get brown and then no one eats them ever and I don't want to throw them out.

So, banana bread.

Also, banana bread baking in the oven smells wonderful.

Here's my latest version (I do make a different one each time!). I love how lovely the streusel top looks. Sets it apart from any old banana bread.

Banana Streusel Bread

Streusel:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter, margarine or coconut oil

Bread:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3 medium very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup fruit juice such as mango, orange or apple
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan.

Make the streusel: mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the butter and work it in with fingers or a knife until mixture is crumbly. Set it aside.

Make the bread: Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar and vegetable oil with a handheld or electric mixer set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mash the bananas and add them to the sugar mixture. Beat thoroughly until the ingredients are well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Stir in the juice and vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the streusel on top. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a cake rack.

 Makes one bread serving 10-12

Banana Streusel Muffins

Selling your house may not be easy these days but I am going to recommend something that might help.

Bake banana muffins.

The aroma is so sweet and homey it makes it seem as if lots of good things happen in your house and people will want to live in it.

I baked some banana muffins the other day and didn’t want to leave my house because that banana perfume was keeping me there like a magnet to nails. For a few minutes I could still sniff a bit of it in my car because I suppose some of the baking vapors stuck to my clothes.

The reason I made banana muffins is because, as I said the other day, I buy way too many bananas. I can’t help myself. Even though I am allergic to bananas I buy lots of them. Frequently. Because I get a vicarious thrill watching other people eat them. And my husband Ed does eat a few, like a good soldier, but I always have too many leftover and have to find something to do with them.

This week I came up with these Banana Muffins. I gave a piece to my 19-month old grandson who looked at it a little skeptically and pushed it away. But then I told him it was a banana muffin and he grabbed it back with his little toddler fist and gobbled it down and then asked for more.

You can make these plain or add dried cranberries, nuts, chocolate chips, grated coconut and so on, to the batter (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup).

Banana Streusel Muffins

Streusel:

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon cnnamon

1 tablespoon butter

In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, four and cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and work into the brown sugar mixture with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Muffins:

6 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 large mashed bananas

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped nuts, dried cranberries or chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl. In another bowl mix the bananas, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the melted butter and optional ingredients. Spoon the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with equal portions of the streusel. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes 10