Hey guys! Today I’m jumping back into one of my favs- my Grandma’s Banana Bread recipe. You’ve seen me make a version of this before, Banana Crumb Cake, which you can also find in my book, Sugar High. This time around, we’re adding chopped pistachios and baking it up classic, in a loaf for the perfect high altitude banana bread.
How to Make High-Altitude Banana Bread
I’ve got a couple of tricks up my sleeve. I wanted to make this cake a little more moist. Don’t get me wrong, the original is a great recipe, and it’s a perfect coffee cake. But I wanted to make things a bit more cake-like for the loaf version. So I added some extra mashed banana to give it a little extra.
Okay and also, this is my new favorite trick ever guys. You know I bake a lot of loaf cakes, it’s kind of my current favorite. I really love a cake that stands on its own without the need for frosting, and I love the ease of loaf recipes. PLUS, I love that sugary, crisp top that you get on many of those cakes, including this one. I’ve seen a lot of info online recently about dusting your cake pans with things other than flour, including just using regular granulated sugar and guys. It’s everything.
Instead of just getting that sugary top, you can have it all over the edges of your loaf cake. It’s sheer perfection. So ya know, look out for me using this like, idk, all the time from here on out.
So anyways, sugary crust, we got it. I know the classic option for banana bread is walnuts, but I had some extra pistachios from this recipe last week, and it’s just a nice little twist. Honestly, throw any nuts you’ve got on hand in here, or even a handful of chocolate chips alongside ’em. You know what you like, you got this. But for the record, pistachios are a great choice.
Tips & Tricks for High-Altitude Banana Bread
Banana bread is super easy to make, but I’ve got some tips to help you along the way!
- Use over-ripe bananas to ensure that you end up with a super moist loaf in the end. They’re way easier to mash this way too.
- Don’t want the extra sugar on top? You can definitely skip it! It’ll have a more traditional top texture, super yummy still!
- What adjustments do I need to make for high-altitude banana bread? This recipe is ready to go for high-altitude already! If you’re using a different recipe, I recommend increasing your flour by about 1/4 cup, adding another banana in, and reducing the leavening by 25%.
- Be sure to use a toothpick/cake tester to make sure you’re baking the loaf for enough time. Loaf cakes are easy to under-bake, so don’t skip this step!
Today we’re all snowed in, it’s been a pjs-all-day type of Saturday, and you can find me curled up on the couch with a slice of this pretty high altitude banana bread. Enjoy!
Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting
- 6 tbs. softened butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbs. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas, over-ripe about 3 large bananas
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and generously spray an 8 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottom and all sides with granulated sugar, and shake out any excess. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana and mix until combined.
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In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients into the wet in three additions, mixing well between each addition, and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Toss the chopped pistachios in the reserved flour, and fold into the batter.
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Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a tooth-pick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
This was perfect! I am at about 6500 ft and it rose beautifully and was a great texture. We skipped the nuts due to a picky kid and it was still great, thank you!
Hi there! So glad to hear it, this is one of my favs!!
Amazing! Perfect texture and rise! Nicole is always my go-to guru for all high altitude baking. Thanks for another perfect recipe!
So glad to hear it!! It's one of my favs!!
Loved it. Made it with whole wheat pastry flour. Should have added a little more butter or oil. Frosted it with a cream cheese frosting with 75% of the recommended sugor. Used walnuts. It rose PERFECTLY. Filled a large (8×4) loaf pan. Absolutely beautiful, like a 14teener. Will definitely bake it again.
Nice, so glad this one worked well for you! Definitely a family favorite in my house!
Thanks for the recipe! I've been struggling to bake since moving to Denver from sea-level and cannot believe how high this rose! It did come out a little dry and crumbly for my taste. I may have overmixed… Any suggestions? I was thinking of adding a little yogurt or buttermilk next time to add moisture and bring out the banana flavor.
Oh, and dusting the pan with sugar? Brilliant!
So glad you love that, it's my favorite thing to do now! haha!
Hi there! I suspect maybe your bananas were smaller, or perhaps less ripened than the ones I used to develop the recipe. In either case, you can increase the banana by about 1/4-1/2 cup without changing the rest of the recipe, and that should result in a more moist banana bread!
Any tips for baking time using mini loaf pans? Would sugar in the raw be too heavy for the top?
Hi there- you should still be able to use the raw sugar on top, or optionally you can also just use regular granulated sugar for a similar effect. Otherwise you should be good to go here- the bake time will be less for sure, and I'd start checking it around 30-35 minutes!
Thank you so much! Going in the oven now!
This was my first successful attempt at banana bread since being at high-altitude. It is delicious. Everyone in my family approves.
So glad to hear it!
too dry. At 5300 ft. Any suggestions to improve the moisture?
Hi there! So sorry this didn't out great for you, I'm at about 5,000 ft as well. You can add an additional 1/3 cup of mashed banana without making any other changes and that should help with moisture!
Thank you for this recipe! I have made it twice at my son's house in Colorado, as muffins, and they were perfect! I live in Maine, at sea level — now I would love to make these at home, but I'm new to adapting recipes — any hints? Thanks so much!
The high altitude banana bread turned out perfectly at 3500 feet. Thanks for a delicious recipe that works.
So glad you liked it!!