Vanilla Bean Banana Bread

So I always buy all these bananas and never eat them all before some get gross and mushy (I'm a green banana kind of girl).  So, instead of tossing them in the trash, I toss them in the freezer!  You'll notice that they literally turn black and rock hard.  

Then comes the day you want some crazy-good banana bread!  Once you've accumulated six frozen, over-ripe bananas, take them out and leave them on the counter until they are completely thawed, and beyond soft. If you prefer, you can pop them in the microwave for 30 second intervals until they are sufficiently soft.

 


When you get ready to make the batter and add the bananas, all you have to do is snip one end of the bananas off and all the inside banana "goop" comes slopping out - you don't even have to mash them...so much easier than cutting and mashing up fresh ripe bananas.   

In addition, the vanilla bean adds a different flare to a typical recipe, and the raw sugar on the top creates a crispy crust that's just to die for.  Hope you enjoy this banana bread as much as I do!

 

- ½ cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ vanilla bean, scraped (or substitute an additional ½ tsp vanilla extract)
- 6 overripe bananas, frozen, then thawed
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- Coarse sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and bananas until well blended. In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; stir just to moisten, do not over-mix.

Fold in pecans if desired.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  Sprinkle the coarse raw sugar evenly over the batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack.  Enjoy!