MAYO's KITCHEN: CRUMBS & NOTES

Soft, fragrant, and deeply banana-y — with brown butter doing what it does best. This one’s a classic that never goes wrong. The kind of loaf that tastes like you’ve got your life together, even if you’re just eating it in your pajamas.

Recipe by Justin Wolff

 

📝 Kitchen Note ‼️

Don’t rush the browning — let the butter get nutty and golden, then cool slightly before mixing. If your bananas are really ripe (or borderline scary), even better.

For that tall, loafy rise, make sure your baking powder and baking soda are still fresh (they lose lift over time), and don’t overmix the batter — fold gently until just combined. A narrower loaf pan helps the shape rise upward instead of spreading wide.

 

Gather These First

Dry ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Wet ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, browned and melted
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Step by Step

🥣 How It Comes Together

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease or line a loaf pan.
2. In a saucepan, brown the butter over medium heat until golden and nutty. Let it cool slightly.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In another and larger bowl, combine mashed bananas, both sugars, eggs, milk, vanilla, and the browned butter. Whisk until smooth.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix.
6. Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.
8. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack. Slice once it’s just warm — or don’t wait, we won’t judge.

📝 Crumbs for Later ‼️

This banana bread gets even better the next day — the flavors deepen and the texture settles into something magical. It freezes beautifully too: just wrap slices individually and reheat in the toaster or oven for an on-demand pick-me-up.