You can swap half the melted butter for plain yogurt or sour cream if you want a slightly lighter loaf, though I will be honest: “lighter banana bread” is not usually what I wake up craving. Still, it stays moist and softens the sweetness a little. For dessert, drizzle a cooled loaf with a glaze made from 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 2 teaspoons milk.
I tried adding chocolate chips once because somebody in my family thinks every baked good needs chocolate. It was not bad, exactly, but it bulldozed right over the cinnamon and banana. A perfectly decent loaf, but not this loaf.
Storage & Reheating
Keep the loaf covered at room temperature for a couple of days. I usually wrap the cut end loosely and put the whole thing in a container, though it seldom lasts beyond the next afternoon. If your kitchen is warm or humid, refrigerate it after a day or two—but know that the fridge firms it up some.
For longer storage, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze it. It thaws nicely on the counter. I have pulled one out for unexpected company, then remembered halfway through coffee that I had frozen it months earlier. Still good. Maybe better after a little thawing time, oddly enough.
To reheat a slice, toast it in a skillet with a tiny bit of butter over medium-low heat until the edges get golden. Microwave works, too, for about 10 to 15 seconds, but the skillet is worth the extra minute. Everything is worth it when butter is involved.
Final Notes
I still make this loaf with the messy spoonfuls and the lazy knife swirls. There are prettier banana breads out there, probably. Ones with perfect domes and artistic sliced bananas on top and a glaze that catches the light just so. Good for them.
This one looks like somebody made it at home because somebody needed something warm. Because the bananas were dying on the counter. Because the afternoon got too quiet, or too loud. Because the coffee was already brewing and a thick slice with butter sounded better than another handful of crackers over the sink.
That is plenty of reason, if you ask me.
