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5.0 from 24 votes

South African Banana Bread

Delight in a slice of this moist and delicious South African banana bread! Made with oil and no butter, this easy and simple loaf will soon become a favourite in your home.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert , Breakfast , Brunch
Cuisine: African , European , International

Ingredients

  • 190 g all-purpose flour (or 1½ cups)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder (or 1½tsp of baking soda)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon - Optional (or more, to taste)
  • ½ cup cooking oil
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 2-3 medium ripe bananas (approximately 270 g - 300 g (9 oz - 11 oz)
  • 140 g yoghurt ( or ⅗ cup)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1.  Preheat oven to 180°C and grease or line an 9'' by 5'' (23 cm x 13 cm) bread loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Sift the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour,baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) into a bowl·
  3. Separately mash the banana with a fork in a bowl then set aside.
  4. In another bowl, whisk the oil, yoghurt, vanilla extract, and sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, a little at a time, then whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) to the wet ingredients, then carefully fold using a spatula.
  5. Fold the mashed banana into the mixture, pour the batter into the loaf pan, and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  6. Allow the banana bread to cool for at least 15 minutes before removing it from the pan, then transfer to a wire rack so it cools completely.
  7. Serve this South African banana bread with some coffee, tea, a glass of milk, or as preferred.

Notes

  • room temperature ingredients: using eggs, bananas, and other ingredients at room temperature helps achieve a uniform texture.
  • do not overmix: be careful not to overmix your batter. Overmixed batter produces more gluten, resulting in a dense, and chewy loaf.
  • checking for doneness: to check whether the banana bread is done, insert a toothpick or a thin knife into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it's done.
  • allow the banana loaf to cool before slicing: once baked, let the bread cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. This makes slicing easier and reduces crumbling.
  • variations and add-ins: consider adding nuts, chocolate chips, and dried fruit such as sultanas, cranberries, or currants to enhance flavour and texture.