Brown Butter Banana Bread with Fresh Ginger Recipe

By Elizabeth Stark

We eat a lot of banana bread in our house, so I like to experiment with flavors to liven things up. This slightly sophisticated take, with fragrant brown butter and fresh ginger, has stolen my heart. Perfect for a quick morning snack, or an ideal underpinning for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this easy spiced quick bread has big flavor and a wonderful, moist texture. Brown butter lends a hint of nuttiness and caramel, while the ginger brightens things with a bit of tang. With a healthy dose of whole wheat flour, just a hint of sugar, and yogurt, this easy banana bread is a great treat for the busy summer season.

More Banana Bread Recipe:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Banana Bread

Funfetti Banana Bread

Whole Grain Strawberry Banana Bread

Brown Butter Banana Bread with Fresh Ginger

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
• 6 tablespoons room temperature butter
• 1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt, not totally cold
• 2 room temperature eggs, beaten lightly
• 2 large ripe bananas, lightly mashed
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set out your dairy and eggs. Put your baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Liberally grease the sides of a regular size bread dish (9 x 5 x 3”³) and set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan, heat the butter over medium-low heat, until it starts to just turn brown and takes on a nutty fragrance. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and spices. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, stir the in eggs, yogurt, and fresh ginger, and finally, the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, stir until combined, and then fold in the brown butter.
4. Pour into the baking dish and cook for about an hour, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Keep a close eye toward the end of cooking time.
5. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes before serving. If tightly covered, the bread will last for several days at room temperature. Well wrapped, it will freeze beautifully.