Banana Bread Recipe

Banana bread recipe tricks for a do-ahead treat that freezes well

Moms are always looking for nutritious snacks and desserts that kids like, but won't necessarily know are healthy for them. Banana bread is one such treat. There are hundreds of banana bread recipes to be found online and it's hard to find a cookbook that doesn't have one such recipe.

Here are a few tricks to modify the old standby so that it's even more tasty, moist and freezes well when prepared as a do-ahead. These changes to an ordinary banana bread recipe allows you to freeze for up to three months, with no loss in moistness. These recipe revisions even allows the flavor to improve with time and are all kid friendly.

When you're going to make several loaves, buy a large bunch of ripe bananas. If you have a bunch that are getting too soft, use them. Peel all the bananas, slicing each into a large bowl and then mash thoroughly. You can use a food processor if you prefer. You'll need about one cup of mashed banana per loaf.

Substitute one cup of applesauce for one cup of liquid called for by your banana bread recipe. Just as with cake recipes, the applesauce adds a delicious flavor and bakes up nice and moist and a bit more fluffy than without.

Mix your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. If your banana bread recipe calls for eggs, water or milk, reduce the water or milk by one cup and add the applesauce. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry, stirring to mix well.

You can bake as directed at this point. If you want even more flavor, try one of these variations. A teaspoon of cinnamon, added for each loaf makes a sweet and spicy banana bread. You can also add 1/4 cup of raisins. A teaspoon of orange or lemon zest per loaf adds a nice citrusy note. Although all of these are sweet additions, they're not fattening and kids absolutely love all of these banana bread recipe variations. You will too.

A slice of this quick bread is perfect with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. It's also makes a good lunchbox dessert. A dollop of non-dairy whipped topping off this versatile bread fools the kids into thinking it's practically like cake. You'll have them asking for seconds.

One last thought: if you've got some bananas getting overripe on the countertop and don't have the time to bake today, don't let them go to waste. Peel and mash the bananas, add a few drops of lemon juice for each banana and freeze in one-cup containers. When you're ready to bake, just defrost and prepare your banana bread recipe as desired.

So if you've tired of the same old standard banana bread recipe, try one or all of these variations for a new and delicious twist.