Saturday, November 18, 2023

Banana Bread Recipe (Easy and Freezer Friendly!) and more...

This is our favorite freezer-friendly banana bread recipe. It's especially yummy with some chocolate chips sprinkled into the batter!
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Banana Bread Recipe (Easy and Freezer Friendly!)

Our family has made this banana bread recipe for years and we LOVE it! It also makes an easy homemade gift idea for the holidays! (Plus, get FREE printable gift tags to go with this gift when you download our FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!)

During the months of November and December, we’ll be highlighting some of our favorite homemade gifts! Download our FREE Homemade Gifts Guide to get recipes to 15+ easy-to-make gifts, plus printable gift tags to go with each gift!

We love this Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe

This is our tried and true banana bread recipe — everyone in our family LOVES it, which is why I’ve been making it for years and years. It’s so easy to make and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.

I wouldn’t say it is the most healthful banana bread recipe ever invented, but it sure is delicious! Plus, it freezes exceptionally well, which is always a plus in my book!

This recipe works well as a breakfast, snack, dessert, or side dish, and it’s an excellent way to use up over-ripe bananas.

Silas often helped me whip up this easy recipe while I made dinner. Look how tiny (and cute) he is!

silas helping mom make banana bread

Homemade Banana Bread is a Great Holiday Gift Idea!

We love making homemade breads and giving them as budget-friendly gifts during the holidays. Whip up a couple loaves of these and attach a beautiful gift tag and you’ve got a really lovely handmade gift without spending much at all!

Download your free printable gift tags!

Want to add on Christmas gift tags to gift this to someone this holiday season? Go HERE to download printable gift tags designed for this banana bread!

ingredients for banana bread

Banana Bread Recipe Simple ingredients

  • 4 cups flour (all-purpose, whole-wheat, or a mixture of both)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)
  • 2 cups sugar (I used turbinado)
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 6-8 bananas, mashed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup milk

Use ripe bananas for this Simple Banana Bread

We always freeze bananas whole (without peels) in a freezer bag once they are so ripe that no one wants to eat them. And then we save them to use in banana bread! (Here are 55 other recipes for ripe bananas.)

Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread

Banana Bread Recipe Easy mix-ins

  • 1 cup mini or regular chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 full banana, chopped into pieces (not smashed with the other bananas)

How to make Banana Bread with Oil

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2. Grease two 9″ loaf pans and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.

4. In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients.

5. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until just combined.

mixing ingredients for banana bread

6. Pour mixture into greased loaf pans and bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.

Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread

7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread

8. Eat while still warm, or cool completely and freeze for later.

Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread

How to store this Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe

To freeze: Let the bread cool and slice the loaf. Cover it in plastic wrap and foil (or put in a zip-top freezer bag). Slice the loaf and cover it in plastic wrap, then in foil (or put in a zip-top bag).

To serve: Thaw on the countertop for a few hours or defrost an individual piece in the microwave for 20-45 seconds. We love to serve ours warm with butter. We also love to pull out slices as needed to use on-the-go as a snack!

Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread
Print

Banana Bread Recipe (Simple and Freezer Friendly)

Everyone loves this tried and true banana bread recipe — and we think you'll love it too!
Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword banana bread, bananas, freezer friendly, quick bread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cool 10 minutes
Servings 24 slices
Calories 259kcal
Author Crystal Paine

Ingredients

  • 4 cup flour all purpose or whole wheat
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup melted coconut oil or melted butter
  • 2 cups sugar granular or turbinado
  • 4 eggs
  • 6-8 over ripe bananas mashed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • Grease two 9″ loaf pans and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, mix all wet ingredients.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until just combined.
  • Pour mixture into greased loaf pans and bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
  • Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
  • Eat while still warm, or cool completely and freeze for later.

Notes

To freeze: Slice the loaf and cover it in plastic wrap, then in foil (or put in a zip-top bag).
To serve: Thaw on the countertop for a few hours or defrost an individual piece in the microwave for 20-45 seconds. We love to serve ours warm with butter.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 161mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 67IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Get your FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!

If you’re looking for ways to simplify gift giving this year, we have just the solution for you! Download our brand new FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide! When you sign up, you’ll get:

This FREE guide was designed to help you have a more peaceful, intentional holiday season. Our hope is that it reduces stress, helps you save more money and spend less on your gift budget, and simplifies things so you can focus on what matters most this season!

Click here to get your FREE Homemade Christmas Gifts Guide!

   
 

Brigette’s $116 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family!

Aldi

2 gallons Milk – $5.04

1/2 gallon Unsweetened Almond Milk – $2.19

1/2 gallon Orange Juice – $2.69

1 pkg Uncured Beef Franks – $2.85

1 16-oz pkg Deli Meat – $4.19

2 jars Spaghetti Sauce – $2.70

1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $2.55

2 3-ct packages Multi-Colored Peppers – $3.70

1 tub Organic Spring Mix – $4.89

1 bunch Bananas ($0.29/lb) – $0.45

4 dozen Eggs – $5.32

1 16-oz pkg Organic GF Quinoa Pasta – $2.15

6 boxes Butter Quarters – $11.54

1 8-oz pkg Deli Sliced Cheese – $1.68

1 32-oz carton Greek Yogurt – $3.25

1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $2.29

1 bag Tortilla Chips – $1.85

1 bag Kettle Chips – $1.85

2 cans Pumpkin – $2.38

2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese – $1.10

2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $1.00

1 pkg Hotdog Buns – $0.98

1 2-lb bag Great Northern Beans – $2.49

Total: $69.13

Sawyer’s Produce

4 2-lbs cartons Strawberries – $12

Total: $12

Harris Teeter 

1 5-lb bag Pillsbury Bread Flour – $4.00

5 bags Shredded Kraft Cheese (B2G3 – $11.73, plus receive (5) $0.50/1 Ibotta Rebates – $9.23 for 5 after Rebates

1 Kraft Cool Whip – $1.49, plus receive $0.50/1 Ibotta Rebate – $0.99 after Rebate

2 cartons Breyers Ice Cream (B1G1) – $6.99, used $2/2 Harris Teeter e-vic coupon, plus received 1865 points from Fetch Rewards ($1.86) – $3.13 for 2 after Coupon and Rebate

2lbs Jimmy Dean Sausage (B1G1) – $6

1-lb bag Brown Sugar – $2.50

4 cans Green Beans (B1G1) – $1.25

1 bag Sweet Potatoes (4.33lbs @ $0.25/lb) – $1.33

1 15.57lb Premium Turkey ($0.29/lb when you spend $40) – $4.52

4 pkgs Nature’s Own Rolls – (B1G1) – $8.98, plus received (4) $0.50/1 Ibotta Rebates – $6.98 for 4 after Rebates

~ this purchase added the last 3 offers I needed to qualify me for a $5 Ibotta Cash Casserole bonus

Total after Coupons and Rebates – $34.93

Grocery Total for the Week: $116.06

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Smoothies, Yogurt, Fruit, Toast, Scrambled/Boiled/Fried Eggs, Veggie Omelets

Lunches

Macaroni and Cheese, Strawberries, Peppers

Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Apples, Peppers, Chips x 2

Leftovers x 4

Dinners

Hotdogs, Green Beans, Baked Potato Fries

Ham and Bean Soup (using a ham someone gave us), Cornbread

Spaghetti (using venison sausage), Tossed Salad, Applesauce

French Toast, Sausage, Strawberries

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Cheesy Breadsticks, Tossed Salad

Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, Biscuits, Strawberries

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Green Beans, Sliced Apples

Cut your grocery bill!

Psst! Want to cut your grocery budget? Go here and sign up (it’s free!) I’ll send you my 10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill By $50.

Did you do any grocery shopping this week? I’d love to hear what great deals you scored!

   
 
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