BA's Best Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 177°C. Lightly coat an 8½x4½" loaf pan with Nonstick vegetable oil spray and line with parchment paper, leaving generous overhang on long sides. Whisk 3.5dl all-purpose flour, 6ml baking soda, and 3.5ml Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 2.5dl dark brown sugar, 80ml mascarpone, and 60ml unsalted butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 min. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition and scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Add 4 large very ripe bananas and mix until just combined. Fold in 1dl chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and/or 1dl chopped raw walnuts if using with spatula. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; smooth top.

Bake bread until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 min. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let bread cool in pan 1 hr. Turn out bread onto rack and let cool completely (if you can resist) before slicing. Editor’s note: This recipe was first published in December 2021. Head this way for more of our best banana recipes →