Pineapple Banana Bread (aka why I squirrel away frozen bananas all year)

By November, you must open our freezer carefully lest the flying bananas injure you. I collect ripe bananas all year long in preparation for my Christmas bread-baking extravaganza, much to Mr. T’s chagrin. (He teases me about shoving the bananes in every nook and cranny of the freezer door, but I persevere.) In addition to Sandi’s Pumpkin Pear Bread, one of my favorites is banana nut. In my quest for the most delicious bread on the planet, I ran across a recipe for “extra moist” banana bread which incorporates pineapple. I’ve modified it a touch by adding more pineapple and reducing some of the oil and sugar. It’s a super easy recipe. Enjoy!

If using frozen bananas, thaw completely, tear off the tops and squeeze banana mush into measuring cups.
When cooking for a crowd, I do double batches. Sadly, my attempts at ambidextrous stirring were too messy to continue, resulting in a really sore right arm.
Mmmmmmmmm.
To package, wrap completely cooled loaves in cellophane and then foil. I went fancy pants and wrapped the foiled loaves in cello-wrap and ribbon. Note, when you buy $.99 Santa cello from Winco, don’t expect sturdiness.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp each- cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
  • 1.5 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 12 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 2 cups mashed banana
  • Few squirts of fresh lemon juice (lemon zest is also good!)
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift dry ingredients in a large plastic* or glass bowl
3. Add remaining ingredients, stirring with a wooden or plastic spoon until well blended
4. Pour into two greased loaf pans and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center just comes clean.
5. Cool completely.

xoxo,
shawna

* Avoid metal bowls or implements as they make evoke a metallic taste from the pineapple.

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