Elephant Banana Bread: The At-Home Adaptation

At Elephant, our banana bread has earned a bit of a cult following. It’s soft, perfectly spiced, and just sweet enough to pair with a flat white (or a cheeky scoop of ice cream at home—we won’t tell). Now, you can recreate the magic in your own kitchen with this easy-to-follow recipe. Pro tip: Overripe bananas are the secret to success!

• 2-3 overripe bananas (about 300g, peeled)
• 100g unsalted butter, melted
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional but recommended!)

Optional Add-Ins:

• 50g chopped walnuts
• 50g dark chocolate chunks

• Mixing bowls (2)
• Fork or potato masher
• Whisk or spatula
• 2lb loaf tin (lined with baking parchment or greased)
• Wire rack for cooling

1. Preheat Your Oven
   Set your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or Gas Mark 4. Prepare your loaf tin by greasing it with butter or lining it with baking parchment.
2. Mash the Bananas
   In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth. A few lumps are fine—they add texture!
3. Mix the Wet Ingredients
   Add the melted butter, caster sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to the bananas. Whisk everything together until fully combined.
4. Combine the Dry Ingredients
   In a separate bowl, sift together the plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to distribute evenly.
5. Bring It All Together
   Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Be gentle and avoid over mixing—you want a soft loaf, not a dense one! If you’re adding walnuts or chocolate chunks, fold them in at this stage.
6. Bake
   Pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool and Serve
   Allow the banana bread to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy with your favorite coffee or tea!

Overripe Bananas: If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, pop them in the oven at 150°C for 10-15 minutes to soften and sweeten them.

Add your own toppings: Try sprinkling demerara sugar on top before baking for a crunchy crust.

Storage: Wrap the loaf in foil and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze slices for up to a month.