Delicious' banana bread is 'so easy' to make - and doesn't contain any eggs

Banana bread is a classic bake that's loved for its intense flavour and minimal ingredients. Home cook Helen Rothwell puts a twist on the original recipe by using black bananas instead of eggs and butter

Banana bread has become a go-to for home bakers everywhere, thanks to its simple recipe and delicious results. It's the ultimate comfort food with its rich flavour and basic ingredients, making it a cross between a scrumptious cake and a sweet loaf of bread.

Helen Rothwell, from the BBC Good Food community, swears by its adaptability. She's shared an egg and dairy-free banana bread recipe online, calling it "the perfect breakfast treat to enjoy with your morning cuppa". Not only is it tasty on its own, but Helen also recommends serving it toasted with a generous spread of peanut butter.

Banana bread recipe

Ingredients

Three large black bananas.

75ml vegetable oil or sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing the tin

100g brown sugar

225g plain flour (or swap for self-raising flour and reduce the baking powder to two heaped tsp)

Three heaped tsp baking powder

Three tsp cinnamon or mixed spice

50g dried fruit or nuts (optional)

Method

This banana bread stands out because it uses fully black bananas, not just ones with a few brown spots or ones that are slightly overripe. Helen emphasises the importance of this detail by explaining how the black bananas are key to binding the mix when not using eggs. Plus, using bananas that are black yet still good to eat (not mouldy or off) ensures the bread comes out "beautifully moist" when baked.

Before you start whipping up the batter, preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Take three large, ripe bananas, peel them and mash them up with a fork. Then, mix in 75g of vegetable or sunflower oil and 100g of brown sugar.

Next, add 225g of plain flour, followed by three heaped teaspoons of baking powder and three teaspoons of cinnamon or mixed spice. Give it all a good stir until it's well combined. If you fancy, sprinkle in 50g of dried fruit or nuts. Then, get your 2lb loaf tin ready by greasing it with some oil.

Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the tin and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. After that time, check on it and if it's browning too quickly, cover it with some foil. Put the banana loaf back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted.

Let the banana bread cool down before you start slicing it into pieces. Helen concludes: "It's delicious freshly baked, but develops a lovely gooey quality the day after."