Has there ever really been a bread better than banana bread? It brings out so many questions!

Nuts or no nuts?

Three bananas or four?

Brown sugar or white sugar? (ALWAYS BROWN!)

I still remember sitting on the counter begging my mom to lick the batter from the bowl as she was whipping up a few loafs for our family. Now my two little ones sit up on the counter and do the same to me. Life has come full circle! 

Over the last five years or so I've tried a ton of different combinations and have finally settled on the absolute best. It's simple, with the perfect balance of bananas and vanilla. Some people consider bread a cold weather favorite, but this recipe is just too good to limit to one season. Let me know what you think! 

Cinnamon Vanilla Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup whole greek yogurt

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (I switch between salted and unsalted - whatever I have!) at room temperature

2 eggs

3 medium size ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more if it's your thing)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a traditional size (9" x 4" or 5") bread pan with a non-stick spray. You can also lightly coat with butter. 

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

Use an electric mixer to beat brown sugar, yogurt and butter at medium speed for two to three minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until ingredients are mixed well. 

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as you go. When finished, add bananas one at a time and continue mixing until combined. Add your vanilla and cinnamon and mix on low speed. 

Pour your mixture into your bread pan and bake until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. 50 to 60 minutes (every oven has its own personality so just watch it the first few times until you figure out the perfect timing!)

Let bread cool for 30-45 minutes or as long as you can keep greedy hands away (not that long in my house).