Why did my banana bread sink in the middle/is underbaked?

You either didn't bake it long enough or you added too much banana or other liquid. It's important to keep in mind that every oven is a little different and the temperatures may vary slightly. Your oven could either be more hot or cooler which will change the bake time.

Can I make the recipe vegan?

You can use dairy-free butter and dairy-free yogurt but I can't recommend any vegan substitutes for the eggs because I haven't tested it.

Gingerbread Banana Bread

Name: Gingerbread Banana Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 blend); 1 tsp baking soda; 2 tbsp cacao powder; 2 tsp gingerbread spice (or Christmas spice mix); ¾ cup brown sugar; ½ cup melted unsalted butter; 2 tbsp honey (or sub maple syrup or molasses); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp dark rum (or sub 1 tsp vanilla extract); ½ tsp fine sea salt; 2 large eggs; 1 cup mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas); ½ cup Greek yogurt; A knob of butter and 1 tbsp flour (for loaf pan, optional); 2 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)

Description

This festive Gingerbread Banana Bread is soft, moist, perfectly sweet, and full of warming spices. You can serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as a snack. Freezer-friendly!

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1:1 blend)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tsp gingerbread spice (or Christmas spice mix)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 tbsp honey (or sub maple syrup or molasses)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum (or sub 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
A knob of butter and 1 tbsp flour (for loaf pan, optional)
2 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cacao powder, and gingerbread spice. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted unsalted butter.
Add honey, vanilla extract, dark rum, and sea salt. Whisk again.
Add eggs and whisk again until well mixed.
Add mashed bananas and Greek yogurt and whisk again well.
Add the dry ingredients in two batches until just mixed. Don’t overmix, it’s okay if there are a few clumps. If you need to mix it more, fold it instead gently.
Use a knob of butter to grease your loaf pan and dust it with flour. This is optional but recommended to make sure the bread doesn’t stick. Remove excess flour by holding the pan upside down over the sink and tapping the sides.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
Bake the loaf in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes

Loaf pan: The loaf pan I use is 4.5x8.5 inches

Storing: Store the banana bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3-5 months. Always freeze the banana bread sliced, not whole, for easier defrosting.

Defrosting and warming up: Preheat your oven to 300F and warm up the bread on a small pan for about 10 minutes or longer if frozen. You can heat it up from frozen, no need to defrost it first.

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