| Banana bread | |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | Sweet bread |
| Main Ingredient: | Bananas, wheat, water, sugar |
| Variations: | Banana raisin bread, banana nut bread, chocolate chip banana bread |
| Cookbook: | Banana Bread |
Banana bread is a type of sweet bread made from mashed bananas.[1] [2] It is often a moist and sweet quick bread but some recipes are yeast raised.
Bananas appeared in the US in the 1870s, but it took a while for them to appear as ingredients in desserts. Banana bread recipes emerged in cookbooks across North America when baking powder became available in grocery stores in the 1930s. Some food historians believe banana bread was a byproduct of the Great Depression as resourceful housewives did not wish to throw away overripe bananas. Others believe that banana bread was developed in corporate kitchens to promote flour and baking soda products.[3] Banana bread experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.[4]
In the Philippines, banana bread is usually called "banana cake." It was introduced during the American colonial period of the Philippines as the Philippines became a top banana supplier.[5]
February 23 is National Banana Bread Day in the United States.[6]