Grandma’s Banana Bread – A 1940s Recipe Made Modern

A sweet and moist quick bread recipe that was my late grandma’s, that has loads of banana flavor and is super simple to make (and even easier to eat!).

There are loads of different banana bread recipes out there, both on the internet and in cookbooks. However, I think that the best recipes are either handwritten recipes or those from old cookbooks with scribbled notes in the margins.

That’s where this banana bread recipe comes from – my late Grandma’s old cookbook from the 1940s. It’s complete with a cracked spine, food stains of some unknown origin, pages falling out, yellowing tape in places, and handwritten scribbles and adaptations over several recipes. Yet, it’s still one of my most treasured cookbooks!

One of those recipes is this one for banana bread. While I am sure that the recipe is great as-is, I’ve used the changes my grandma made, as well as added one or two of my own, to really amp up the moisture level and flavors of this banana bread even more.

It’s a quick recipe to make, comes together using pantry staples, smells delicious as it bakes, and is perfect for an easy breakfast or any time you want a slice of grandma’s house!

Ingredients For Grandma’s Banana Bread

• Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is used for this banana bread recipe. Bread flour will make this recipe feel dense and too tough.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Baking powder works together with the baking soda to act as the leavening agents. These two allow the bread to rise slightly while it bakes.
• Salt – The salt helps to balance out the sweet bananas and brown sugar.
• Butter or Shortening – Back in the day, shortening was the way to go. (I swear, my Grandma’s generation put that stuff in everything!) However, I swapped out the shortening with softened butter for an even richer loaf. As for salted or unsalted butter, we only use salted in my kitchen. If you use unsalted, just add a pinch more of salt.
• Brown Sugar – Another swap that my Grandma specifically made to the original 1940s recipe. That recipe called for granulated sugar, but we use brown sugar to create a richer, moister, more caramel-like flavor profile.
• Eggs – For best results, use eggs at room temperature. The eggs need to be slightly beaten before adding them to the mixture.
• Bananas – You need about three ripe bananas for this recipe. Since bananas vary so much in size, aim for about 1 cup of mashed bananas. It’s ok if you use a bit more or less.

Options Ingredient Additions

Chopped Nuts – Some people like to add nuts to their banana bread recipes. If that sounds like your family, go ahead and add around 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts. Fold them into the batter after adding the dry ingredients.

Chocolate Chips – Who said you can’t have banana chocolate chip bread? Add about 3/4 cups of your favorite type of chocolate chips for an even sweeter quick banana bread! Don’t forget to sprinkle a few on top as well!

Vanilla – While I didn’t add vanilla to this base recipe, there’s no reason you can’t add a splash or two of vanilla extract. (Try your hand at making it homemade for the best flavors!)

Cinnamon – If you really want to layer the flavors on, add about a teaspoon of cinnamon in with your dry ingredients. It will provide the banana bread with a little warmth while making it smell divine while it is cooking. I like to make this addition during the fall and winter months, just because. (I love the addition of cinnamon with another of my favorite quick bread recipes: Zucchini Bread.)

Instructions For Grandma’s Banana Bread

Start by preheating your oven to 350º Fahrenheit. While that is warming up, lightly grease a loaf pan and set it aside. You want to use a standard loaf pan, which measures 8.5 x 4.5″. A one-pound loaf pan (9 x 5″) will also work. (That is actually the size I used for the images in this post.) By using a standard loaf, your bread will be slightly taller.

In a medium-sized bowl, add your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until everything is well combined. Set the dry ingredients aside for now.

In another bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Then add in your eggs and whisk until smooth. Lastly, add the mashed bananas and mix until well combined. The batter will be lumpy thanks to the bananas at this point.

Now, take your dry ingredients and add them to the wet ingredients. Stir just until combined. You don’t want to overmix the batter. A few lumps are completely fine and expected, especially with the mashed bananas involved.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake the loaves for one hour or until the top is nice and golden brown.

While you can enjoy Grandma’s Banana Bread fresh from the oven, it will be a bit hard to cut at this stage. I actually prefer to let the bread come to room temperature before slicing and enjoying. I feel like the flavors of the bananas stand out more when the bread isn’t served warm. As always, you do you!

Frequently Asked Questions

How ripe should my bananas be for banana bread? You want them to be pretty ripe for making banana bread. As bananas ripen, they become sweeter over time. The peels should have lots of darn brown spots on them, or be completely brown for the best results. Avoid using bananas with any green on them. Not only will the fruit not be sweet enough, but unripe bananas are also hard to smash and mix in with the batter.

How to best store baked banana bread? Allow the bread to cool to room temperature. Then store it in an enclosed container or in Small Bread Poly Bags like I use (Product Link). We like to keep our banana bread stored in a bag in the refrigerator, but that can dry it out a bit quicker. (Ours never lasts long enough to become dry!)

Can you freeze this banana bread? Yes, you can! After it is baked, allow the bread to come to room temperature. Store the loaf in a freezer-safe bag with the air removed in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the bread to thaw in your refrigerator before cutting and serving.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

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