Homemade banana bread with evaporated milk and a touch of cinnamon is tender, moist, and tasty. This old-fashioned banana bread is just like grandma used to make! It has a strong banana flavor and is best served with a slathering of butter and a cup of hot coffee.
Grandma's Banana Bread With Cinnamon
Banana bread has stood the test of time for a reason. Even if you don’t like the taste of fresh bananas, the smell of banana bread baking in the oven has to be one of the most delicious scents ever. Serve it with a little Vanilla Pudding or a nice spread of Cream Cheese Frosting for a little tanginess to balance the sweet banana flavor.
Why you’ll love this Banana Bread
Classic flavor—It has the flavor of traditional banana bread and a wonderfully moist texture, and the addition of cinnamon ups the flavor profile.
Freezes great - One batch of this easy recipe makes two loaves, so you can either share a loaf with a friend or freeze the extra for later. It’ll stay fresh for up to 1 year in the freezer!
Use up extra bananas - If you have a heap of bananas getting brown on your counter, use them up before they go bad! This recipe will help you use up 4 bananas in no time at all.
Cinnamon - Adding a small amount of cinnamon to the bread gives it a slightly sweet and spicy flavor.
What You Need
You need a bread loaf pan and a hand mixer or stand mixer. You will also need a cutting board and at least one knife. As always, I recommend you buy the best kitchen tools you can afford. You deserve them.
Ingredients
- Bananas - These should be fully ripe and medium-sized.
- Sugar - I’ve adjusted this recipe to be just sweet enough. Use white or brown sugar.
- Eggs - Let the eggs come to room temperature first.
- Butter - Melt the butter all the way, and let it cool.
- Evaporated milk - This shelf-stable milk is naturally creamy and easy to have on hand at all times.
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- All-Purpose flour
- Leaving agents - Use a mixture of baking soda and baking powder to ensure a good rise.
- Salt - Use a mixture of baking soda and baking powder to ensure a good rise.
- Chopped Walnuts - These are optional, but they add a little crunch and flavor.
How to Make Banana Bread With Cinnamon
This recipe is adapted from Faye Porter’s recipe for Grandma’s Banana Bread in My Grandmother's Knee: Recipes & Memories Handed Down by Women of the South.
- Heat oven to 350F degrees.
- Cream the bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk in a large bowl.
- Add the melted butter (cooled), cinnamon and salt.
- Mix well.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, mixing as you go one cup at a time.
- Add the walnuts and mix.
- Pour into two lightly greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pans.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool for a few minutes (or it will stick to the bottom) and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving.
Expert Tips
- Leave the bananas slightly chunky - If you like those little chunks of banana in your banana bread, give them a rough mash instead of turning them into a puree.
- Don’t underbake—Since banana bread takes so long to bake, it’s always tempting to pull it out of the oven a little too soon. Be patient! Make sure the toothpick shows the center is fully baked, or use an instant-read thermometer. The center of the loaf should reach between 200 and 205 degrees F.
- Use silicone pans—Bake the batter in silicone pans for easy removal. They cool quickly and don’t need to be buttered or greased.
Grandma's Banana Bread With Cinnamon
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 4 medium-size ripe bananas
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup melted butter or canola oil
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Pinch salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream together the bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
- Add the melted butter (cooled), cinnamon and salt.
- Mix well.
- In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture, one cup at a time, mixing as you go.
- Add the walnuts and mix.
- Pour into two lightly greased 9″ x 5″ loaf pans.
- Bake 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool for a few minutes (or it will stick to the bottom) and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling before serving.
Variations
- Add chocolate chips - Add about ½ cup of dark chocolate chips or chop up a bar of dark chocolate into chunks.
- Make mini loaves - Divide the batter into small pans to give away as gifts. Be sure to drop the baking time significantly!
- Try different mix-ins - Raid your pantry and add your favorite dried fruits, coconut flakes, and more. You can even use fresh fruit, like blueberries, for a pop of color.
Sprinkle with sugar - Sprinkle regular or cinnamon sugar on top of the banana bread before baking for a crunchy, sweet topping.
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Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
