Old-Fashioned Banana Bread
Last updated on July 15th, 2025
This Old-Fashioned Banana Bread is tender, moist, and loaded with bananas, warm spices and a nutty texture.
My vintage inspiration for this cake is from my Nan’s recipe book. I’ve taken her 90’s recipe and made a few modern revisions.
- I replaced the shortening with a combination of butter and oil
- Added warm spices for more depth of flavor.
- I added Instant ClearJel for a light, more tender texture. The ClearJel will help with structure and moisture retention, while the slight flour reduction will allow for more spread and a chewier texture.
Dry Ingredients
flour: Use all-purpose unbleached flour with 10-12% protein, such as King Arthur or Sir Galahad Artisan Flour (its bulk-purchased name) which has 11.7% protein. Avoid bread flour, as its higher protein content (11-14%), develops more gluten, which results in dense baked goods.
instant clearJel: Instant ClearJel is a modified cornstarch that acts as a thickener, retaining moisture and stabilizing baked goods for a light and tender texture. If ClearJel is hard to find, cornstarch is a good substitute. To swap: If the recipe calls for 1 T. cornstarch, use 1 1/2 T. ClearJel. If the recipe calls for 2 T. flour or tapioca, use 1 T. ClearJel.
Baking soda: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a leavening agent that, when combined with an acid (like lemon juice, buttermilk, or vinegar) creates carbon dioxide gas to make baked goods rise.
Baking powder: Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid, like cream of tarter, and a base, like baking soda to help baked goods rise. Use a double-acting aluminum-free baking powder to avoid a bitter aftertaste.
salt: Use a fine-ground pink salt which adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.
cinnamon: Cinnamon comes from dried bark from the tropical Asian cinnamon tree and is available as whole cinnamon sticks or ground. There are two types: Cassia which has a warm, sweet flavor, and Ceylon known as “true cinnamon”, which has an intense spicy bite.
Wet Ingredients
butter: American butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
canola oil: Canola oil is perfect for baking as it has a neutral and light flavor. You can swap oil for butter and vice versa as oil provides moisture, and butter provides flavor.
sugar: Sugar is derived from sugarcane and provides sweetness to baked goods. The most common type being granulated white sugar. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
brown sugar: Brown sugar is granulated sugar with molasses added, providing deep flavor and moisture to baked goods. Light brown sugar contains 3.5% molasses and dark brown sugar has 6.5%, giving it more robust flavor.
buttermilk: Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
eggs: Eggs are important in baking because they lend natural leavening, provide moisture, and add structure through their protein.
vanilla extract: Vanilla provides hints of caramel and spice, which enhances the depth of flavor in baked goods. Homemade vanilla is best, or use a high-quality, all-natural brand that contains at least 35% alcohol. MAKE YOUR OWN! Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 ounces of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
Mix-Ins
bananas: Bananas are a tropical fruit grown on plants, often mistaken for trees. As they ripen, bananas develop more natural sugars, making them sweeter. It’s best to use them at the brown-speckled stage, as green bananas are unripe.
walnuts: Walnuts are the seeds of Juglans trees that are found inside a hard, thick shell that must be cracked open to eat. There are two varieties, the English walnut commonly eaten raw, and the black walnut which has a stronger flavor and often used in savory dishes.
Homemade Ingredients
Vanilla: Purchase Grade B vanilla beans (also called extract-grade), which have less moisture and a more concentrated flavor. Place 8 ounces of bourbon (or vodka) in glass bottle or jar. Split 5-7 vanilla beans down the middle and add to bottle. Let it sit for 3-6 months in a cool, dark place. As you use it, continue to replace the bourbon and add more beans as it keeps for many years.
- When making banana baked goods, be sure to use brown-speckled bananas. If your bananas are not ready to use, roast them at 300° for 30 minutes until they are black outside and soft inside.
- The original recipe called for shortening, however, I’ve modified it by using a combination of butter and oil. Shortening was used in many recipes of the early 20th century because it was readily available, cheaper and shelf-stable. Use a mild oil such as canola or ‘extra light’ extra virgin olive oil so that it doesn’t overpower the baked good.
Dietary Substitutions
For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
Here are some tips for gluten free baking
- Use a premium gluten-free flour blend. You can easily convert this recipe and your other favorite recipes using my premium gluten-free flour for proven, delicious results every time.
- Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons additional buttermilk to help hydrate the flour.
- Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days, refrigerate 3-5 days, or seal in plastic and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. After pulling the container from the freezer, bring to room temperature before opening the lid.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
- Swap out the butter with unsalted vegan butter sticks.
- To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
- Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat or almond milk.
Equipment
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Storage
Baked Loaf: Cover in air-tight container and leave on counter up to 3 days. To freeze, cover in saran wrap and place in freezer-safe container up to 6 months. Thaw on counter in the container for 1/2 hour before opening up the container.
Unbaked batter: Prepare batter and place in a sealed container up to 3-5 days in refrigerator.
Related Recipes
Old-Fashioned Banana Bread
Equipment
- Loaf Pan 9 ½"
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 ¾ c. unbleached flour
- 1 T. cornstarch
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. salt
WET INGREDIENTS
- ⅓ c. butter slightly melted
- 1 ½ c. bananas (brown speckled) mashed
- 1 c. sugar
- ⅓ c. brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 T. oil
- ⅓ c. buttermilk or milk
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
MIX-INS
- ½ c. walnuts or pecans (optional) chopped
Instructions
PREP
- Gather your equipment. Preheat oven to 350°.
- Lightly grease loaf pan on the bottom and sides 2/3 of the way up.
- Peel and mash bananas and set aside. Chop the nuts and set aside.
MAKE BATTER
- Place butter, oil, sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and mix together.
- Add mashed banana and nuts and mix until just combined.
- If time allows, let batter rest in bowl 10 minutes.
- Scoop batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with course sanding sugar or addtional chopped nuts.
BAKE
- Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 350° and bake an additional 40-50 minutes. Let cool, slice and store in air-tight container.
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