
This recipe is one I grew up with and have enjoyed since childhood. It originally came from my Great Aunt who is a wonderful cook and baker! This perfect banana bread always disappears when I take it into work or make it for holiday breakfasts! It is also another great way to use up your extra ripe bananas at home. I have found it is even better with more bananas and I generally use 4-5 bananas for this recipe instead of the 3-4 listed in the ingredients. These chocolate chip banana muffins are also a great way to use up those extra ripe muffins!
Preparation Of Perfect Banana Bread
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Although the ingredients are only slightly different the taste between these and the banana muffins is completely different. The recipes start out the same though, by pealing the extra ripe bananas and mixing them until they are almost to a liquid consistency and then adding in the white sugar and vegetable shortening. I then mix this until the vegetable shortening is in very small pieces. It will not mix completely, but you do not want large clumps of shortening. Continue with adding in the eggs and vanilla and then mix to completely form your cream mixture.
Continue making the dough by adding int he flour and baking soda, I do not premix these ingredients. Mix completely. To add extra moisture to the bread add a dollop of sour cream and mix in. This isn’t necessary if you don’t have any on hand, but does make the bread extra moist if you happen to have some in your fridge.
Baking
Bake your bread for 45 minutes covered by foil if your using regular bread pans and then uncover for the last 10-15 minutes. Bread should be golden brown when done. This recipe makes 2 regular sized loaves or 4 mini loaves of perfect banana bread. Make sure to adjust your cooking time down approximately 10-15 minutes if you are making mini loaves.

Ingredients
3-4 Extra Ripe Bananas
1 Cup Granulated (White) Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1.5 Teaspoons Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Dollop Sour Cream (approx 1.5 Tablespoons) — Optional

Perfect Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3-4 Extra Ripe Bananas
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar (White Sugar)
- 2 Eggs
- ½ Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1½ tsp Vanilla
- 2 Cup Flour
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Dollop Sour Cream Approx 1.5 Tbsp, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Mash the extra ripe bananas in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add in the granulated sugar, vegetable shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well to make a cream base for your the dough.
- Add in flour, ground cinnamon and baking soda slowly, mix well.
- Mix in sour cream for extra moist bread.
- Pour into greased bread pans.
- Bake at 350 covered with foil for 45 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes. Bread will be done when a tooth pick or knife comes out clean when inserted in the center of the bread.
- Let cool, cut with a serrated knife and serve.
Notes
