Oh banana bread, I love you so much! It is the quintessential recipe to use up ripe, mushy bananas. The gooey, sorta sweet, comforting bread that can be served for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Who doesn't love that? I mean it is fruit, right?

I have been making this recipe since I was an intern back in 2000 and something up in Minnesota. That long, cold winter definitely deserved something warm and comforting. I was into cooking and baking and discovering new recipes. Especially if the recipe included some good healthy ingredients in place of some ingredients that were less desirable. And bonus points for being a cheap recipe because interns don't get paid. Zero, zilch, nada! But lucky for me it was at one of the greatest hospitals and it was worth it!

I wrote this recipe on a half notecard, which is now stained as it has been through some baking with me.

I forget how good it smells in the house when banana bread is baking. OMG! This bread came out so moist in the middle thanks to the pineapple and added coconut oil. It is so good too with a little crunch on the outside. If you are questioning the pineapple, just trust me. You will get a few small pineapple chunks throughout but it doesn't have a pineapple flavor. It was a hit with all 3 of the guys at my house. They've eaten it all week for breakfast and snacks. I tried it again today with a gluten-free all-purpose flour and it was great as well.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar (I used half coconut sugar and half brown sugar)
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 egg
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained, save juice
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 T coconut oil, melted (optional)

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in separate mixing bowl.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Add some of the pineapple juice if mixture is too dry.
Pour mixture into large parchment lined or greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes. Test for doneness with toothpick.

Feel free to dress this up with some chopped nuts or chocolate chips. We like it plain with a little butter or nut butter on top! I hope you enjoy this bread as much as we do on a cold winter morning. Enjoy!

Lin