Banana Nut Bread

When I was in college I experimented with a number of different banana bread recipes, looking for my favorite.  This recipe to me is the one and I have stopped my search.  For me the texture is key for these types of breads.  I want a large crumb, something fluffy but moist, not like a muffin or a bread crumb.  The way to create the crumb you want is through the creaming style, and the moistness is dictated by the fat and the sugar.  To me the combination of all of it is perfect, but you may like a different crumb and that’s ok.

2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 ½ cup mashed bananas
3 cups flour
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream the sugar and shortening until the shortening is no longer in chunks.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.   Mix in the bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until just combined.  Stir in the nuts if desired.  Pour batter into 2 greased 9x5 loaf pans and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Banana bread is another one of my weaknesses, so I will give you some ideas of calories and you decide on portion sizes, I’m not telling you how much I ate.


1 loaf, 3195 calories, 151 g fat
8 servings/loaf, 400 calories, 19 g fat
12 servings/loaf, 266 calories, 13 g fat

I usually end up making the 2 loaves and taking one to work because I cannot have 2 loaves of banana bread in the house, I must get rid of that temptation pretty quickly.  Most everyone likes banana bread so it is always appreciated when you show up with some.
I typically stay away from shortening, but I have tried banana bread with different types of fats, and this produces by far my favorite.  Since I make this only once or twice a year I feel that it’s ok to splurge.  Just make sure you aren’t splurging more often than not, we are trying to keep trim here!