Description
This Thanksgiving Gingerbread Banana Bread combines the warm, spicy flavors of gingerbread with moist, naturally sweet bananas, making it a perfect festive treat. Enhanced by a cinnamon sugar-coated loaf pan and a sweet glaze with festive sprinkles, this bread is a delightful holiday twist on classic banana bread.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 medium)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground all spice
For the Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons milk
- Holiday sprinkles, for decoration
Additional
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar (for coating the pan)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan thoroughly with nonstick baking spray, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly inside the pan. Tap the pan gently to ensure the entire interior surface is coated with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar together until the mixture is smooth and creamy, creating a fluffy base for the bread batter.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed butter and sugar, add the vanilla extract, eggs one at a time, mashed bananas, sour cream, and molasses. Beat the mixture until all the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and ground allspice. Gradually stir these dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until they are fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Fill Pan and Bake: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until a long skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Bread: Once baked, remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, carefully flip the bread out onto a wire rack or plate and allow it to cool completely before glazing.
- Prepare Glaze: Stir together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth to create a pourable glaze. Pour and spread the glaze over the top of the cooled bread evenly.
- Add Sprinkles: While the glaze is still wet, sprinkle holiday sprinkles over the top for a festive appearance. Let the glaze set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Ensure bananas are ripe for the best sweetness and flavor integration.
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense bread.
- Use a toothpick or skewer to test doneness; it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cooling the bread completely before glazing prevents the glaze from melting too much.
- This bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute sour cream with coconut yogurt and butter with a plant-based alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
