Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8.5 x 4.5" or 9 x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. If you do not use parchment paper, grease the pan generously. Set the pan aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon until mixed well. Set this cinnamon sugar mixture aside.
- Melt the butter and place it in a large bowl. Add the bananas to the bowl and mash them thoroughly into the melted butter until the mixture is completely smooth with no lumps. Use a whisk, fork, or potato masher for this step.
- Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking each until incorporated. Add the yogurt, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour all at once. Stir with a fork or spatula until a batter just forms and no large pockets of flour remain. Do not over-mix the batter.
- Pour about half of the batter (360g-400g) into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Eyeball this measurement; it does not need to be exact.
- Sprinkle about half of the cinnamon sugar (25g) evenly over the top of the batter. Do not swirl the sugar into the batter. Leaving it undisturbed will create a clear ribbon of cinnamon sugar in the finished loaf.
- Carefully pour and spread the remaining batter evenly over the cinnamon sugar layer, trying not to disturb the layer underneath. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Use the shorter time for a 9"x5" pan and the longer time for an 8.5"x4.5" pan. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached.
- Cool the bread almost completely in the pan before removing it (about 30 minutes). Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the loaf out easily. Slice and serve.
Notes
Storage: This bread keeps at room temperature, wrapped in foil or in an airtight container, for about 3 days. It can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. You can also wrap individual slices in foil and freeze them; microwave for 30 seconds to reheat.
To make muffins: This recipe yields 12 muffins. Line a muffin tin with parchment liners. Layer half the banana batter, half the cinnamon sugar, the remaining batter, and the remaining sugar in each cup. Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 12-14 more minutes.
Substitutions: You can replace the butter with olive oil, another neutral oil, or melted coconut oil. Replace the Greek yogurt with sour cream, a thick Greek-style plant-based yogurt, or 1/4 cup (56g) additional melted butter. For a gluten-free loaf, use an equal weight (188g) of a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. To make it egg-free, use 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp water) or a commercial egg replacer.