I love banana bread, but I hate bananas. And even though I used to eat them regularly, the last few years I have given myself permission to leave them in the grocery store where they belong. And just because I already have a wonderful banana bread recipe on this site, doesn’t mean that another recipe wouldn’t be nice to have too. Especially if the new recipe contains malted milk powder, which this recipe just happens to include.

Now, do I like this recipe better than my old recipe? Not necessarily. It’s just a little bit richer and moister. And I find that a plus in its favor. But either recipe makes for some very good eating. And isn’t that what this blog is all about?

So if you too enjoy banana bread, and happen to want to try one that is just a tiny bit different, give this baby a try. But truly, you really can’t go wrong with either recipe on this site. They are both perfect with breakfast or as an afternoon treat with a hot cup of coffee or tea. And if you refrigerate the loaf, it will happily stay fresh and delicious for several days.

Happy baking dear friends. And stay healthy. I’ve got lots more recipes I want to pass your way. So stick around.

• ½ c. unsalted butter, room temp.
• ¾ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. light brown sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ c. bread flour  
• 2 T. malted milk powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. kosher salt 
• 1 rounded c. mashed ripe banana (I used 3 medium sized bananas)
• ¾ c. toasted chopped walnuts
• ½ c. sour cream
• 2 T. coarse sugar (sometimes called decorating sugar)

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. 

Whisk the flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt together.

Add the dry ingredients, then bananas, nuts, and finally the sour cream. Mix well.

Pour batter into a buttered 9×15-inch loaf pan or 2 prepared 7½ x 3½-inch loaf pans. Sprinkle on the coarse sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or for smaller pans, about 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely before slicing or storing.

Please note: If you have old aluminum pans that are rusting, maybe you should consider getting some new loaf pans. Mr. C. finally asked me to replace my old pans because he didn’t want to consume any more rust. OK, I get that. I don’t think I even noticed anymore because I had been using those same pans for 50 odd years.

So I went on line and purchased a two pack of Stellar James Martin 1 lb. non-stick Loaf Tin Pans.

Now you know this is a non-advertising site. But these are the best loaf pans I have ever used. They are the perfect size for us, because recipes that make enough batter for 1 9×15-inch loaf pan is just the perfect amount for 2 of these little darlings. They measure 7½ x 3½ x 2¾ inches. And I have always enjoyed using the smaller pans for everything from meat loaf to quick bread. For us, 1 loaf can be consumed while the other loaf can be tucked away in our freezer for some later date when it’s obvious to both of us that we deserve a treat.