Blueberry Banana Bread

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD

3/8/2019

My family LOVES Banana Bread - plain, simple, every day! But adding fresh blueberries are the perfect addition to our family-favorite Banana Bread. Flavorful and moist, tried and true, tender and filled with fresh blueberries that explode with fresh blueberry flavor into a perfect golden sweet banana bread. Another family classic that is perfect on a lazy weekend or for a special brunch or tea.

Old Fashioned Blueberry Banana Bread

When my sweet daughter Chantel got married last November, her only special request was that I make her my homemade Banana Bread for her wedding morning. That, and a cup of tea were exactly what she needed to keep her calm and get her wedding day off to the right start.

Who knew that something so familiar from her childhood would be exactly what she wanted that morning? It made my heart happy to bake up Blueberry Banana Bread, and also mini-loaves of our traditional Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and Maple Glazed Pumpkin Banana Bread. These freeze so well that I could make them weeks ahead and just pull them out to bring for that morning.

I added a yogurt bar and fresh fruit, croissants & bagels and a selection of cream cheese so that the entire wedding party had something delicious and comforting to munch on during the morning. Perfect with wedding day mimosas!

Fresh Blueberry Banana Bread

Two secrets for my Blueberry Banana Bread. First, start with really ripe bananas - with lots of dark golden sugar spots. The riper the better, as this is what gives homemade banana bread such delicious banana flavor and flecks of banana throughout.

My other secret is to always use FRESH blueberries, never frozen, and to give them a light dusting of flour before adding them to the batter. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the banana bread while baking. I also like to sprinkle some fresh blueberries on top of the batter once it is in the pan.

These are as pretty as they are delicious!

Blueberry Banana Bread

BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD

My family LOVES Banana Bread - plain, simple, every day! Adding fresh blueberries are the perfect addition to our family-favorite Banana Bread. Flavorful and moist, tried and true, tender and filled with fresh blueberries that explode with fresh blueberry flavor into a perfect golden sweet banana bread. Another family classic that is perfect on a lazy weekend or for a special brunch or tea.

Blueberry Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled, not scooped)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large ripe bananas (mashed)
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (rinsed and drained well)

HOW I MAKE THIS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to middle of oven. Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan or 4 individual loaf pans with nonstick spray or line 10 mini-loaf pans with paper liners. Set aside.
Rinse fresh blueberries and drain well on paper towels.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Blend in the mashed bananas, milk and vanilla until well blended.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, slowly mix half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Add remaining flour mixture and again stir just until combined and no more flour pockets remain. Do not overmix!
Gently toss the fresh blueberries with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour until all berries are evenly coated; fold the fresh blueberries gently into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and top with a few additional fresh blueberries if you would like.
Bake for 28 to 32 minutes for small 3x5 loaves, 45 to 50 minutes for a full-sized loaf (depending on the size of the pans you use), or 16-18 minutes for mini-loaves. To prevent the top and sides from getting too brown, loosely covering the bread with aluminum foil once it is golden. A toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf will come out clean when the bread is done.
Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
Store covered in a cool location or wrap loaves individually and freeze.

YIELD: makes one 9x5 loaf, four 3x5 loaves or 10 mini-loaves

NOTES: For gift-giving, special occasions and holidays, I will glaze the Blueberry Banana Bread loaves by brushing with maple syrup immediately upon removing from the oven. This keeps the loaves incredibly moist and gives a shiny, delicious look and flavor to the bread. To freeze, wrap each loaf with plastic wrap and then in foil; place individually wrapped loaves into a larger plastic freezer bag or airtight storage container. For best flavor and texture, frozen loaves keep well for up to 30 days.

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