Grandma Dottie’s Banana Bread

Grandma Dottie’s banana bread just smells like the weekend! Be generous with the walnuts – you won’t regret it.

I’m really missing sights like these at the grocery store:

We used to buy 10 or more bunches of bananas when the store had this many. But for some reason our tiny little town doesn’t do this. So I have to buy bananas at full price, tuck them away in a corner, and hope I find them somewhere in the perfectly overripe stage.

Talk about first world problems.

But there are perks to small town grocery stores. One checker recently took it upon herself to discount some spotted bananas for me. And I happen to know the produce manager at the other grocery store in town. She hooks me up with 40 lb. boxes of yams when they go on sale.

They both make up for no carts of discount bananas. Mostly.

Banana bread is something I never really bothered with an official recipe for. I’m still pretty lax about how many bananas I use, but for the most part I do follow the recipe. It’s just comforting to have that source of consistency in my life.

And it’s good to have a basic banana bread recipe that everyone loves. While Grandma Dottie’s baking mostly included pies, her banana bread was always a real winner. It’s moist, packed full of walnuts, and just the right amount of sweet.

Grandma Dottie’s Banana Bread:

1/2 cup canola oil (Grandma used butter)

4 mashed bananas (use three if they are extra large)

2 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

~2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Wash your hands before starting. Yes, even in the privacy of your own kitchen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in mixing bowl. A pastry blender works especially well to mash the bananas. Add both flours and baking soda, making sure to mix baking soda evenly in batter without overmixing the batter. Stir in nuts.

Transfer to greased 9 x 5″ bread pan ( I use glass). Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until done. A toothpick inserted in the middle should only have a few moist crumbs on it.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Slice banana bread and slather it with your spread of choice. Know that it is hot and if you burn yourself it’s your own doing (I’m speaking to myself here).

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Grandma Dottie’s Banana Bread

Grandma Dottie’s banana bread just smells like the weekend! Be generous with the walnuts – you won’t regret it.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 cup canola oil (Grandma used butter)

4 mashed bananas (use three if they are extra large)

2 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

~2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions

Wash your hands before starting. Yes, even in the privacy of your own kitchen.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first four ingredients in mixing bowl. A pastry blender works especially well to mash the bananas. Add both flours and baking soda, making sure to mix baking soda evenly in batter without overmixing the batter. Stir in nuts.

Transfer to greased 9 x 5″ bread pan ( I use glass). Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until done. A toothpick inserted in the middle should only have a few moist crumbs on it.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

  • Author: Ashley