Description
A moist, spiced quick bread made with overripe bananas, real maple syrup, and toasted pecans. This one-bowl recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and delivers bakery-quality flavor in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large ripe bananas (about 1 ½ cups mashed / 350g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (115g)
- ½ cup real maple syrup (120ml)
- 1 large egg, room temperature (~50g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2g)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon (3g)
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (0.5g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (3g)
- ½ cup pecans, chopped and toasted (60g)
- Optional: ½ cup white chocolate chips (85g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- Optional: Toast pecans on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes until fragrant, then cool and chop.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the peeled bananas with a fork until mostly smooth with a few small chunks.
- Add melted butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract to the bananas. Whisk vigorously until fully combined and glossy.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
- Gently fold in the chopped pecans (and chocolate chips if using) until evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50-55 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil after 40 minutes.
- The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Use the blackest, ripest bananas for best flavor. Do not overmix the batter once flour is added to avoid dense bread. Real maple syrup is required for the intended flavor profile. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 3
Keywords: banana bread, maple pecan bread, quick bread, fall recipes, weeknight dinner, one bowl recipe, gluten-free option, vegan option