I have been trying to make Bourbon Banana Bread all Winter long. Even though technically it is now Spring, it did snow this morning to my dismay. Boozy baked goods are still acceptable if it’s snowing right? I promise that adding bourbon to this banana bread recipe won’t make you drunk before noon, but it does add so much delicious flavor to both the bread and glaze.
Another reason it took me so long to make this recipe is every time I went to the supermarket they were out of bananas. I know it sounds strange, but it must have been the banana shortage of 2018. I even took photos and sent them to Ethan of empty spaces in the stores where bananas use to be. Like Gwen Stefani said, “This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!”.
Bourbon Banana Bread
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons bourbon (I used Few)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
bourbon glaze
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 tbsp. bourbon
splash of milk to thin
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl of your electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar together. Add in the eggs and beat until combined. Stir in vanilla, mashed bananas, bourbon, and sour cream.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gradually add dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan lined with parchment paper. I love to use parchment paper so that the bread is easily removable from the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on rack.
Make the glaze while the bread is cooling. Stir together the sugar and bourbon, adding a touch of milk to thin to glaze consistency. Pour or spread the glaze on the cooled bread.
This is by far my favorite recipe for banana bread. Some recipes that I’ve tried in the past just don’t have enough banana in them. One or two just isn’t enough for me, I feel like adding a third is definitely the sweet spot. The other secret to making great banana bread is sour cream. Adding it produces a superior bread that is moist and delicious. Let’s talk about that bourbon glaze, which is so easy to make and delightfully boozy.
I’ll be making this Bourbon Banana Bread whenever I have too many bananas turning brown on my hands, which happens almost too often. Lately, I’ve been freezing them for smoothies too! I love the flavor the bourbon adds to this bread but you could also experiment with other spirits. Adding dark rum and coconut would be a great Summer variation. I guess maybe I have some experimenting to do. If you decide to make this Bourbon Banana Bread make sure you chime in on the comments below. I’d love to hear how it turns out. xo
