By: Natalia Gercheva

Last year, over spring break, I was lucky enough to visit a few Caribbean islands where we got to walk around and learn the different cultures and recipes! In St. Lucia, we stopped by some people selling banana bread. My family bought some and it tasted delicious, so we had to ask how they made it. The people said that it was made with banana essence, which they also happened to be selling.

Ever since the trip, my family only bakes banana bread using banana essence in the recipe. I thought it would be fun to try making a Caribbean style banana bread using some other spices too, so I did some research, made the bread, and am happy to share how it went and what I learned!

This is a super easy recipe that most people will already have the ingredients for in the kitchen. There is no mixer required, all you will need is a bowl and a fork or whisk. The sugar quantities are flexible, and the chocolate chips are optional, but I think they add a delicious sweetness to the banana bread. The banana essence is also optional because I understand that not everyone will have it, but it is available for purchase online and highly recommended.

Ingredients:

1. 2-3 medium overripe bananas, peeled and mashed
2. 1⁄3 cup melted butter, unsalted or salted
3. 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1 pinch of salt
5. 3⁄4 cup of sugar
6. 1 large egg, beaten
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8. 1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract
9. 1⁄2 teaspoon banana essence (optional)
10. 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh or ground cinnamon
11. 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh or ground nutmeg
12. 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh or ground ginger
13. 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
14. 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
15. 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Butter an 8×4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth, then stir in the melted butter.
4. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, egg, and all the extracts and spices. Mix in the flour, and fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then slice with a serrated knife and serve!

Final thoughts: I am extremely happy with the results after making this new variation of banana bread because it was delicious! I think that adding all the spices enhances the flavor, and if I were to change anything I would have increased the amount of spices. I love this recipe and will definitely start making it more often, and recommend it to others!