Bob Evans Banana Bread

The taste of a moist slice of banana bread is fantastic! Served during tea or dessert, Bob Evans Banana Bread is a family favorite.

Homesteading is the best thing that has ever happened to my family and me. Bob Evans’s farm inspired me, as we attended the annual festivals on his farm every year.

I still remember jumping on the haystacks with my brother and some childhood friends. It was absolute fun attending the annual festivals each year.

As I followed my mother from one tent to the other, a passion for homesteading began to sprout in me. We would learn so much, from cheesemaking to sausage making, every time we would get a chance to visit the annual festival.

The festival wasn’t completed until a band of country music singers entertained us with a couple of happy tunes.

After a long day of walking, standing, and playing, we longed for the time we would settle down at the Bob Evans restaurant!

Over the years, my favorite meal would be a wet burrito with hickory-smoked ham topped with green pepper! My all-time favorite dessert at the Bob Evans restaurant is the warm moist banana bread.

It is so moist that it sticks to my finger whenever I touch the top of the loaf! The balance of flavors in the bread is extremely precise. ‘If only I could replicate this recipe at home!!’ I thought every time I devoured a slice of banana bread at the Bob Evans Restaurant.

Not only would I bake for dessert, but the loaf would form part of a hearty breakfast at home. I kept trying, reading many recipe books and scanning the internet for recipes such as copycat Bob Evans Recipe that would almost match up to the Bob Evans Banana Bread.

Also, Check Out: How to Fix Runny Banana Pudding.

We have been on this farm for the last ten years, and I love that we can grow food and keep animals! Our commitment, resilience, and persistence have been tested through the years. After two years, we began harvesting the fruits of our labor!

After we have made all the farm sales of our bounty harvests and delivered them to various local grocery stores, a lot of farm produce remains.

We always have an extra crate of tomatoes, bananas, butternut, or zucchini. We thrive on using up this fresh farm produce. Zero wastage is a significant policy on our farm.

Anytime I have extra bananas, I would make a banana bread recipe. I found a couple of copycats of Bob Evans banana bread recipes, tweaked them a bit, and I loved the results.

“Every time I take a bite of the Bob Evans Banana bread that you bake, I am transported to the annual festival at the Bob Evans farm,” says my teenage son, a great fan of my cakes.

 Does your fruit basket have some brown spotted bananas? If yes, you have the best ingredient for a decadent Bob Evans Banana Bread.

Let us discuss the ingredients we need to make this bread that does not require yeast, kneading, and long proofing periods.

3 Simple Steps on How to Store Banana Bread. Click to Read.

Ingredients And Substitutions  

Brown Sugar:

The molasses in the brown sugar adds a caramel-like flavor to the banana bread and gives the bread a beautiful brown hue. However, white granulated sugar or honey still works in the recipe.

All-purpose flour

This is the regular flour that you need for this recipe. You can substitute gluten-free flour.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

They are the leavening agents that make bread rise during baking. Baking Soda reacts with acidic ingredients such as sour milk and bananas; carbon dioxide is produced, giving the bread the required lift. Quick bread is not leavened by yeast.

Ripe Bananas:

These are vital ingredients in this recipe. The best bananas to use are the ones with almost black skin; the more overripe, the sweeter and moist your banana bread will be. What a great way to use bananas that don’t look very attractive on your fruit platter!

Eggs:

large eggs are at room temperature and are the best, weighing an average of 50 to 60 grams. Eggs moisturize the banana bread batter.

Melted butter:

I love the aroma released when you melt butter. Butter adds a milky flavor to the bread and moisturizes the bread as well. You can substitute melted with vegetable oil.  

Sour Cream:

Now, this is my secret ingredient. Sour cream releases rich flavors to the banana bread and moisturizes the banana bread without thinning out the batter, as would milk. It contains more fats; more fats mean more moisture!

Lemon Juice: a blend of lemon flavor and the banana flavor tastes incredible, be sure to add this ingredient to take your banana bread to another level. Lemon juice is commonly used to prevent oxidation, and this property makes the bread stay fresher.

Walnuts or pecans:

Nuts are a great addition to this recipe. The nutty flavor and slightly bitter undertone give a wonderful taste to the Bob Evans Banana Bread. Their crunchy texture elevates the delicious homemade banana bread too.

Chocolate Chips:

This additional but optional ingredient is a great plus to the overall taste of banana bread. Toss a handful of them in the bread butter to add a chocolatey twist that melts so easily in your mouth. Chocolate and banana flavors form a delicious blend.

Raisins:

You can substitute nuts with a handful of raisins. Raisins add a depth of sweetness and a fruity flavor to our banana bread. If you are allergic to nuts, replace the nuts with raisins.

Equipment

Mixing bowls: medium-sized bowls would be good for the dry and wet ingredients.

Rubber spatula: is instrumental in mixing the banana bread butter. As you pour the banana batter into the baking pan, a good rubber spatula will help you scrape off all the batter; there will be no wastage.

Electric hand mixer or Stand mixer: does work a little easier, especially when mixing the butter, sugar, and eggs.

Potato Masher: great for mashing ripe bananas, though a fork would too.

Measuring cups and spoons: Critical for measuring ingredients accurately. Poorly measured ingredients can make your banana bread too damp or too dry.

Baking tins, preferably loaf pan; You can use any kind of pan to make this delicious quick bread. However, traditionally a loaf pan is a popular choice for baking banana bread. The delightful bread takes the shape of a loaf pan, giving it a similar appearance to a regular yeast loaf.

Cooling rack: This is essential for adequately cooling the banana bread. This prevents the bottom of the loaf from getting soggy. Air passes through the bottom of the cooling rack, perfectly cooling the Bob Evans Banana Bread.

Parchment paper: This helps prevent the bread from sticking to the loaf pan.

Potato Masher: This handy tool mashes the bananas into a good puree required for a moist Bob Evans Banana Bread. You can also use a fork.

Wooden skewers or toothpicks: you will require this while checking if the bread is ready. This will keep you from having an uncooked middle, a common flaw in banana bread making.

An oven is used for baking quick banana bread. Set your rack in the middle of the oven so that the bread cooks evenly on the top and bottom.

Also, Check Out: Healthy Low Fat Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes.

FAQ

Why is my Bob Evans Banana Bread dry?

The type of ingredients used can affect the moisture content in your quick bread. Try using melted butter and sour cream, and you will notice a big difference.

These ingredients contain more fats, thereby making your banana bread nutritiously rich and moist.

Can I use semi-ripe bananas in making the Bob Evans Banana Bread?

Using semi-ripe bananas will make your loaf less moist and even less sweet. Ripe and even overly ripe bananas are the best.

They are rich in flavor and sugars, resulting in a sweeter Bob Evans Banana Bread. Keep your semi-bananas in a dry, dark corner and cover them with some paper to hasten the ripening process.

How do I store my Bob Evans Banana Bread?

This moist cake contains fresh fruits in the batter and its topping. It might go bad quicker than a regular pound cake if left at room temperature for a long time.

Please place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for about three to four days.

Why is my Bob Evans Banana bread uncooked in the center?

This is a common occurrence as you begin your baking journey. Eagerness and excitement can make you remove the cake before you check the center, lol.

The Bob Evans Banana Bread is loaded with mashed bananas, which require a little more time to cook. Remember to check the center using a wooden skewer or toothpick.

If it comes out clean, it confirms the center of the banana bread is fully baked. If the skewer comes out with wet dough, you can cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. 

Can I use a muffin tin to bake the Bob Evans Banana Bread batter?

Yes, you can make exquisite muffins with the same banana bread batter. Just regulate the baking time to 20 minutes, this should yield 12 medium-sized muffins.

Pro Tips

• Bob Evans banana bread contains fresh ingredients; it is not advisable to leave it at room temperature for prolonged periods. As soon as it’s completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This way, the loaf can last up to four days.
• Please do not over-mix the banana bread batter. The more you mix, the more gluten is produced. This will make the cake too dense, rubbery, and tough. As long as the wet and dry ingredients are combined, resist the urge of over mixing.
• Most home cooks will overlook the importance of measuring techniques. Correct measuring of flour in the Bob Evans Banana bread recipe is essential. Instead of scooping the flour directly from your container into the mixing bowl, consider adding the flour to the measuring cup and leveling the top to remove excess flour. Excess flour will make the banana bread less moist.
• Invest in a little gadget, an oven thermometer. This will enable you to preheat the oven to the right temperature. High temperatures make the banana bread hard on the outside, a quality very far from the Bob Evans Banana Bread. Since I purchased my oven thermometer, all my cakes and bread have been moist!

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