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Why Is Everyone Baking Banana Bread?
It’s the food of the moment
Seems like everyone is making banana bread — it’s easy, it’s healthy(ish), and it uses up those speckled brown bananas taking up space on your counter. But is it even good? Or merely an acceptable food for the moment? Heated’s editors hashed it out.
Melissa: People are talking in Medium Slack about why banana bread is THE food of the quarantine — and there are shoutouts to it everywhere. I’m not really a fan of bananas or banana bread, though. Thoughts?
Kerri: Banana bread is probably a thing because bananas are inexpensive, kids like them, it’s easy to make, and keeps for days. It’s what you make the other 10 months of the year when you don’t feel like eating pumpkin bread. But actually, Mark would probably say, if you can find fresh or canned pumpkin, make that instead.
Kate: I hate bananas but love banana bread. A lot of people have been posting their Bittman banana bread, though.
Daniel: If you replace half of the bananas with chocolate chips and criminally underbake it, that’s my jam.
Annie: I love banana bread, but banana bread without nuts is disgusting. Even fully baked, banana bread often seems underbaked. I feel like a crunchy element is essential.
Kerri: I love this thread! If you’ve got any cranberries left from the holidays taking up valuable freezer space, pulse them in the food processor (or chop them up a bit) and use them in place of some or all of the bananas. If you don’t like tartness, up the sugar ¼ cup.
Mark: The thing is that because bananas are good, cheap, ubiquitous, and still in good supply (does anyone hear Chiquita or Dole complaining?), and because we almost always buy more bananas than we eat … there’s almost always a good reason to make banana bread. (Come to think of it…) It’s twice as good with coconut in it.
Banana Bread
Makes: 1 9-inch loaf
Time: About 1¼ hours
The best banana bread is a balancing act: It requires a fair amount of fat to keep it moist and lighten the crumb, and just enough sweetness without overpowering the super-ripe fruit. This version — from my late dear friend Sherry — has…