I have been using this recipe for years, and although I do some experimenting with other banana bread recipes on occasion, I keep coming back to this one.

I love the cracked top.

I got the recipe from my friend Marivic. I remember the day vividly. Our kids were little, and Marivic invited us to go the pool with her and her boys. Marivic’s kids were a bit older, so she had a few more parenting years under her belt than I, and I was in awe of her ability to take her kids to a public pool and manage all the details. At the end of our swim session (after the traumatic-for-me part, which was dealing with showers in the locker room), we sat in her car and she opened up a foil wrapped package of sliced banana bread. It was hot in her car, so the bread was warm, and it had chocolate chips in it, which were all melty. It was the best banana bread I had ever had!

When they were little: Marivic’s son Toby on the left, Mara in the middle, and another friend Mia on the right.

She said she had made the bread that morning. I was again in awe of her parenting prowess. How did she manage to pack up all of the swim gear and make banana bread while wrangling two boys? She told me the recipe came from a cookbook for kids, so it was super simple to make – just one bowl and a wooden spoon. You gotta love that!

One bowl and a spoon!

This banana bread is simple and homey, slightly sweet with a velvety crumb. Normally I don’t like chocolate chips in quick breads, but it really works here, especially if you don’t use too many.

The perfect breakfast or anytime snack.

Banana Bread

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (3 large)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (scant) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1. Heat oven to 325°
2. Grease a 9″ x  5″ x 3″ loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas using the back of a wooden spoon. I use the most disgustingly ripe bananas I can find.  Stir in the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla and mix well.
4. Dump the flour on top of the wet ingredients (you can use up to half whole wheat if you like), then sprinkle the walnuts, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the top. Stir everything together with wooden spoon just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips if using.
5. Bake on center rack of preheated 325° oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes, then take loaf out of pan and let cool completely on cooling rack. To store, wrap in foil and keep at room temperature. I recommend waiting until the next day to slice into the bread, if you can wait that long. Both texture and flavor are better on day #2!

And just for the fun of it, here are me and Marivic with friends Christy and Carolyn, from one of our bi-annual women’s retreats (2017).

I am on the left, Marivic is bottom center, Christy on the right, and Carolyn (Christy’s mom) top center. It was cold and windy!