Grandma’s Banana Bread

Grandma’s Banana Bread! Well, if I’m being honest this is actually my great Grandma Hoyt’s banana bread recipe. This bread became an early quarantine staple in our house when banana bread was taking the country by storm – haha. My great Grandma lived through the Spanish Flu of 1918 and both World Wars, sadly losing one of her sons to battle during World War II. I wonder if she made this bread for her family for comfort when they were going through hard times? I wish I could tell her how much I admire her strength and ask her for advice, but I’m glad I can at least make her banana bread.

I’ve made a few changes to her recipe, substituting butter for some of the shortening and adding a little cinnamon, but mainly this is the recipe that has been on rotation in our family for close to 100 years! I hope you’re able to bake up a loaf on those days when you need a little comfort and have a few extra ripe bananas on the counter.

Here’s a picture of my great-great grandma with 5 of her 9 kids. My grandma is the daughter standing right behind her. I love old pictures, especially of relatives I never had a chance to meet.

I don’t have any procedure photos from making this banana bread, but it’s pretty straightforward. I didn’t plan ahead to post this recipe, but when I had a slice the other day – buttered and warm from the oven – I knew I wanted to share it with you!

Grandma’s Banana Bread

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 large, extra ripe bananas (peeled and smashed with a fork)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Cream shortening, butter, and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Add eggs and smashed bananas, mix well until no lumps remain. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Spray one 9 x 5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill the loaf pan with the batter, smoothing to the edges. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour (up to 1 hour and 15 minutes) until the loaf is cooked through. Let the bread cool in its pan for 10 minutes and remove the loaf. Slice and serve warm with butter. My favorite!