Why this recipe Matters
Baked good make a regular appearance at our house, but my kids LOVE banana bread! I’m always testing it with different add-ins and this recipe for Confetti Banana Bread is my new favorite variation.
Emma: “”Whatcha making?”
Me: “Banana Bread.”
Emma: “Oooooo, can you add in sprinkles this time?”
Me: “Um…where has this idea been?”
That is typically how a new recipe is created in our kitchen. Me, talking about food, and Emma, chiming in with a new idea of how I can give it a twist! Either that, or she is sending me Instagram videos and a message, “Can you please make this?”
Confetti Banana Bread, took more time to develop though…and what was the hold up? First, waiting for the bananas to turn brown. Second, keeping Mikey from using the saved browned bananas for his smoothies. After weeks of waiting for different bunches of bananas to brown, I believe this one is the winner! Whip some up, your house will smell amazing and a slice makes the perfect snack day or night.
Handy Hints for Confetti Banana Bread
•Be sure your bananas are very ripe. For the best flavor, I prefer to use bananas that are extremely brown and have little yellow color remaining. Too speed up the process, place bananas in a brown paper bag and close tightly. This will trap the ethylene gas released by the bananas and cause them to ripen faster.
•It is important NOT to over mix the batter. Mixing too much will cause the gluten to overdevelop, resulting in a tough and dense baked good.
•Baker’s Joy Nonstick Flour-Based Baking Spray, is excellent for greasing the loaf pan in this recipe. It is also useful in countless other baking recipes. for Perfect Release
•The best loaf pan to use for this recipe is a 9″x 5″ x 2 1/2.” It will result in an evenly baked loaf with a flatter top. You can use an 8″x 5″ loaf pan, but it may have a domed top not cook as evenly.
•Don’t overfill your loaf pan with batter. Using too much batter will extend the baking time. Also, it can dry out the bread, while trying to get the top middle of the loaf baked. Only fill your loaf pan about 2/3 of the way full. Instead of discarding the extra batter, you can either make a few muffins or use a mini loaf pan.
•Keep the light on in your oven while baking. As the top starts to puff up, watch for excessive browning. If necessary, loosely place a piece of foil over the bread. This usually begins happening around the 30 minute mark of baking.
PrintConfetti Banana Bread
Overripe bananas hanging around your kitchen? Don’t throw them away, use them to make a loaf of this delicious Banana Bread with sprinkles.
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups overripe bananas, mashed ((about 4-5 large bananas))
- 1 half lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 whole eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and set an oven rack to the middle position. Prepare a 9″ loaf pan, cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom and grease the pan.
- Using a sifter or a fine mesh sieve, sift into a medium bowl, the flour, salt, baking powder and soda, set aside.
- In a small glass measuring cup or bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract, set aside.
- Using a fork or a potato masher, mash the bananas into a bowl and stir in the juice of half a lemon, set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the melted butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is creamed together and becomes lighter in color.
- Reduce speed to low, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides as necessary. Add in the mashed bananas until just combined.
- Keeping the mixer speed set to low, add in half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until just combined. Repeat with the other half and add in 2 1/2 tbsp of sprinkles (being careful not to over-mix the batter).
- Pour the batter and spread evenly into the prepared loaf pan, filling only 2/3 of the way full. (See Notes & Handy Hints for extra batter ideas).
Optional: Sprinkle additional 1/2 tbsp of sprinkles on top of the batter before placing it in the oven to add vibrant colors to the top of the loaf. - Bake for 40-55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the top springs back to the touch (see Handy Hints for more baking tips).
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack, let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Then flip the bread out of the pan onto the rack and continue to cool completely or slice and serve (it’s delicious warm)!
Notes
•Be sure to mash the bananas really well in step #4, a smooth consistency is ideal for even distribution of banana throughout the bread.
•You will have extra batter when making this bread, but don’t be tempted to add it all to the pan, only fill your pan 2/3 full. The extra batter can be used to make a few extra muffins or a mini loaf pan.
Nutrition
- Calories: 246
- Sugar: 23
- Sodium: 236
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 41
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 22
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