With two young kids, our household is a bit unpredictable when it comes to fruit. Some weeks, we can barely keep up with the demand. We’ll buy a bunch of bananas, and they’re all gone in a day. The next week, thinking we finally cracked the code, we buy kilos of bananas, only for our kids to suddenly decide they're over them. Sound familiar?

One week, as our fruit bowl overflowed with overripe bananas, we decided we needed a solution. The answer? A banana bread recipe that uses as many bananas as possible in one go! It’s a simple, one-bowl recipe that has become a family favourite.

One-Bowl Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 120g salted butter, softened
• 200g brown sugar
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 225g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar, mixing just until blended. Be careful not to overwhip—just get them well combined.
2. Add in the mashed bananas and gently mix to combine.
3. Fold in the eggs, plain flour, baking powder, and vanilla. At this stage, don’t use a mixer—overmixing could lead to separation.
4. Pour the batter into a greased and lined loaf tin.
5. Place the loaf tin in a preheated fan-forced oven at 160°C and bake for about an hour. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer; it should come out clean.

Enjoy your family-friendly banana bread, and finally put those bananas to good use!