Cooking Articles & Recipes

Banana Bread - Pillsbury Banana Bread Recipe

Banana Bread recipes are coming back into fashion. In this article, the author takes us on a search for her favorite banana bread recipe ...

Bananas are probably the most popular fruit for people of all ages. This yummy treat is a staple in most kitchens but it does have a very short shelf life. Though most households have no problems finishing up their supply before the yellow skins turn brown, many find themselves with soft, over-ripened fruits that are only good for one thing; banana bread.

If you have an abundance of this delectable yellow fruit lying around you may want to consider looking up a good banana bread recipe. This treat is a welcomed part of just about everyone’s diet and it will disappear even quicker than the bananas themselves.

The history of this memory-provoking edible is quite short. The first recorded recipe for banana bread appears in a recipe book distributed by Pillsbury in 1933. The Pillsbury Banana Bread Recipe quickly became a standard in many kitchens across the United States but it really didn’t gain explosive popularity until the 1960’s.

The hay day of banana bread is believed to be at its height in the 1960’s and the 1970’s but I think that the treat is still a must-have in your recipe box today. Maybe it’s because the banana bread is so closely linked to fond memories of my childhood that I have such an attachment to the recipe. This is the only homemade bread that I make from scratch.

I guess that I love the banana bread so much because it really isn’t like any other bread. It is more cake-like or muffin-like in texture and taste. Adding nuts to the mix is a great way to add interest flavor to the banana bread but the classic recipe from 1933 calls for nothing except the yellow fruit.

The aromas that fill the house while the banana bread is baking are wonderful as well. In fact, I almost like the smells as much as I do the flavors. Smell is closely linked to memory as well. My husband bought me a candle scented with a banana bread aroma but it just wasn’t the same. Nothing beats the fresh-baked authentic aroma.

I have tried a number of banana bread recipes and I have to admit that I can’t determine which one is my favorite. There are many variations to the basic ingredients but they all seem to turn out the same; just plain good.

I was recently tempted to try to find the original recipe found in the 1933 book by the Pillsbury Company, as the Pillsbury Banana Bread recipe would have to be my favorite of them all.

So, after a little research, here's the Pillsbury Banana Bread recipe I found:

Pillsbury Banana Bread Recipe

Recipe By: Best Loved Foods of Christmas, Pillsbury, undated booklet

NOTES : "Developed by Ann Pillsbury"

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pillsbury's best all purpose flour*
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs unbeaten
• 1 cup bananas (mashed)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 1/2  cup funsten's nuts chopped

BAKE at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes. 

MAKES 9 x 5-inch loaf.

Sift together flour, soda, and salt.  Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, creaming well.  Add eggs and bananas.  Blend thoroughly.  Combine milk with either lemon juice or vinegar.  Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Blend well after each addition.  With electric mixer use a low speed.  Stir in nuts, chopped. Turn batter into 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan, well-greased on the bottom.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 60 to 70 minutes.

*Pillsbury's Best Self-Rising Flour is not recommended for use in this recipe.

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