Olive Oil And Ricotta Banana Bread

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This special banana bread recipe is loaded up with olive oil and ricotta to result in the most deliciously tender banana bread you’ve ever had! It’s one of my favorite recipes because simple but also a little fancy at the same time. Serve this during brunch or make it as a snack to enjoy throughout the day like I do!

Here’s why you should make this leveled up banana bread:

We’ve all been there. You’ve bought too many bananas at the grocery store and now they’re completely brown and over-ripened. I have good news for you- this recipe is an opportunity to use those! I promise, you’ll never know those gross looking bananas are in here. Every time I make this banana bread it doesn’t stick around for long and that’s because I eat it all!!! It starts by having a slice at breakfast, then a little sliver off the side every time I walk by it throughout the day. It’s so good, it’s basically irresistible.

Ingredients you’ll need for homemade banana bread:

Extra virgin olive oil
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Creamy ricotta cheese
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Baking powder
Ripe bananas-preferably overripe.

How to make the best banana bread:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas then combine the wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients.
Fold the two together until no flour is remaining.
Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle extra sugar on top.
Bake until cooked though and golden on top.

FAQ:

Can I make this recipe as muffins instead?

Yes! Follow the same directions to make the batter, just spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray before filling the cavities and bake them for 20-25 minutes instead of the full hour.

Why are overripe bananas important for this?

Ripe bananas are best for baking for two reasons. For one, they’re much easier to mash and incorporate into the batter. They’re also much sweeter than unripe bananas. That extra sweetness and banana flavor comes through more in the end result and makes for a very delicious baked good.

Could I add a glaze on top of this?

The yes or no answer to this is yes, but I think this banana bread is super delicious as is. If you were to make a glaze, I would recommend sticking with chocolate or making trying a crumb topping.

Why add parchment to the baking pan?

Parchment is a lifesaver when baking with a loaf pan. I always grease the pan, then lay a sheet on parchment paper to cover the bottom and overhang the sides. This makes it impossible for whatever you’re baking to stick to the pan. You’ll be able to grab the parchment paper overhang and pull the loaf right out of the pan.

Substitutions for the olive oil and ricotta.

Although I love the richness and major moisture these ingredients bring to this snacking loaf, you could use vegetable oil, canola oil or melted butter instead of olive oil and sour cream, yogurt, or applesauce instead of ricotta.

Some optional things you could add into the batter:

Chocolate chunks
Chopped nuts: walnuts would be great but pine nuts or pecans work too.
Dried fruit: dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots or dates would be yum!
Spices: In small amounts, allspice, cardamom, clove, ginger and nutmeg are all delicious, warm spices that work great in any banana bread.

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5 from 1 vote