Oh my gosh, this bread is so good. It is perfectly moist, banana flavor-filled, and has just the tiny hint of cinnamon that really puts it over the top. I have been eating this bread for as long as I can remember, and I have been putting my own touches and changes on it for over three years.

The Four Flavor Boosters

The first ingredient to boost the bread’s flavor is cinnamon. Cinnamon in this recipe is really absolutely amazing. The flavor of ground cinnamon goes perfectly with the banana. Along with creating a more complex flavor profile, it enhances the banana flavor and makes this banana bread outstanding.

The second flavor booster is the RIPE bananas. Yes, your bananas must be very ripe. When bananas are ripe, they are much, much sweeter, and have a much stronger flavor then pre-mature bananas. If you do not have ripe bananas on hand, don’t worry! Check out my tips on how to quickly ripen bananas to quickly fix that issue!

Here is some examples of banana bread worthy bananas:

The third flavor booster is the maple syrup. Maple, cinnamon, and banana… need I say more? Maple also goes incredibly well with the dark brown sugar (⇩), so, adding it was kind of a no brainer.

The final flavor booster is the sugars. Yum, sugar. White sugar does not have that much of a flavor benefit, but brown sugar and cane sugar do. Dark brown sugar has a higher amount of molasses than light brown sugar. The molasses adds an absolutely amazing hint of flavor to our bread.

I know, I know, anyone who has ever seen a cooking show knows that too many flavors can be a bad thing. Some flavors go against each other and fight for the spotlight, which can be a bad thing, but when they all work together in a perfect symphony of flavor, it is amazing. This bread is a symphony of flavors, not a war!

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

Craving banana bread, but do not have any ripe bananas? Grocery stores intentionally have under-ripe, green bananas to maintain freshness. Instead of making flavorless bread with pre-mature bananas, try one of these easy ways to get green bananas to dark-spotted ripe ones.

Paper Bag Method – takes 12-24 hours

This method is very easy and mess-free. If you do not have at least a day to spare before making banana bread, then I would not recommend this method. It is a great way to ripen bananas for eating too, which the oven method is useless for.

For this method, simply take your bananas and place them in a paper bag with the top rolled shut. Periodically check the bananas to see when they are ripe.

Oven Method – takes 15-30 minutes

This method is also easy, but not mess-free. It is great for when you need a really quick fix for under-ripe bananas. If you are planning on eating your bananas, then do not use this method. Have patience, use the paper bag method, and wait a day. Bananas can not be completely green for this method to work.

For this method, place aluminum foil on a sheet tray. Spread out all of your bananas on the prepared tray. Bake at 300℉ until peels are shiny and completely black. Don’t worry, they’re supposed to look like that!

Final Tips

This recipe is pretty fool-proof, but here are a few things.

Let the soy milk and apple cider vinegar sit for at least 5 minutes before mixing into the batter. This will ensure that the buttermilk substitute can fully develop for maximum effect.
Use cane sugar if you have it. Cane sugar not only adds texture but flavor to this bread.
Use dark brown sugar. Yes, you may use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar really adds a beautiful molasses flavor to the bread that goes really well with the bananas.
Leave small chunks of banana in your purée. If we wanted it to be completely smooth, then we would have used a food processor!

That’s it folks! I hope this becomes the last banana bread recipe you’ll ever need! Enjoy!