The BEST Buttermilk Banana Bread Recipe

I've never been a banana kind of person. I would occassionally eat them when they were coated in vanilla icecream and hot fudge, or maybe in small quantities in a bowl of cheerios. 

But just to wolf down a banana? No thank you! 

Banana bread was naturally never a favorite because, duh, it tasted like bananas.

But my children love bananas. In spurts. Like they love yogurt, or grapefruits. (You know the dilemna, you buy just a couple and they inhale them so the next time you go to the store you buy a lot and it sits in the fridge for years...) 

So one particular "off season" for bananas in our house I happened to be on this blog: The House of Smiths. 

Ever heard of it? 

Of course you have. 

It just so happened the very day she posted her banana bread recipe I had super ripe bananas sitting in my fruit basket. Happy happenstance. 

When I took my first bite of this banana bread I immediately called my husband and said "I just made the best banana bread EVER! You have got to try this!" To which he responded, "I don't really like banana bread." "I know, neither do I. But this stuff is ridiculous." And I was right. It was ridiculous. And he came home and had a loaf and agreed with me.

That, my friends, was more than a year ago. I make this banana bread all the time now. And every time I log onto Shelly's blog and search for the recipe. Only problem being, her blog is so awesome i get on "just to look up the banana bread recipe" and get sucked into her blog's awesomeness for long periods of time and then my children come in crying "I thought you were making us breakfast....!"

sigh...

Make this banana bread. 

And, I don't ever want to hear you crying about not having buttermilk in your fridge. Buttermilk is a STAPLE in our fridge. Almost as much so as regular milk. It last forever practically (usually at least a month) and it is a key ingredient in this banana bread and our favorite pancakes: Truckstop Pancakes, which we make ALL the time. Just man up and buy yourself some buttermilk. (You can use it in mashed potatoes as well. It adds a really nice tang.)

The BEST Buttermilk Banana Bread Recipe (From House of Smiths)

Mix Together:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Set this aside. 

In another bowl, cream together:

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 eggs

4 ripe mashed bananas 

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix well.

Pour batter into prepared (sprayed with cooking spray) MINI loaf pans. This part is super important. Shelly says the bread doesn't bake up as delicious in standard bread pans. I've always done as she says.

Bake @ 350 for 30-35 minutes or until done. 

Makes 6-7 small loaves.  

YUM! 

Mine is just about to come out of the oven and every child in my house is doing a happy dance. 

Husband loves his banana bread best with chocolate chips and so I always add some to a couple loaves just for him. 

Because I love him. 

Lots.