No Waste Banana Bread

Got overripe bananas sitting on your countertop? The ones you meant to eat a week ago or maybe longer. Yes, those. While you maybe tempted to put them in the compost or trash bins, do not. Do not waste them, but instead make banana bread. It is a simple quick bread.

Typically, your pantry has all the ingredients for this recipe: butter, sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, eggs, and yogurt. I usually use whatever yogurt I have on hand in the fridge. Vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry yogurt works nicely with this recipe.

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2-3 bananas)
• 4 oz container low-fat yogurt (vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry works nicely)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a fork or whisk.
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.
• Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.
• Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
• Spoon batter into loaf pan coated with cooking spray, butter, or oil.
• Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan.
• Try to cool completely on wire rack.