Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan with nonstick spray, then line it with parchment, letting the paper hang over on both long sides of the pan. 

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. In another bowl, mash the bananas and brown sugar with a fork or potato masher, until the brown sugar has dissolved and the whole thing is a gooey mess. Mix in the eggs, oil and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients, including the chocolate chips if you are using them, and mix with a spatula just until everything is incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan, then smooth the top. Bake the banana bread for about 55 minutes to 1 hour, until the top browns a bit and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (We have been known to under-bake the bread just slightly, so that it stays a little softer and less “bready” on the inside.)

Let the banana bread cool before slicing. I like to make the slices about ¾” thick, then stack them between layers of parchment paper in a big, lidded plastic container that I pop in the freezer for easy breakfasts and snacks.