Banana Bread

This is our favorite banana bread. It is really moist and has a great flavor and doesn't use any oil. It does use butter, but I doctored it a bit to include plain yogurt, so I figure it is healthier that way. Too bad Luke is allergic to bananas!

The Best Banana Bread

1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup butter
3 cups white sugar (if I have it, I use Splenda for half of the sugar)
3 eggs
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 (16 ounce) plain yogurt (you can mix with some lemon juice, if desired)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking soda
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Use two large loaf pans and one mini muffin pan or four 7 x 3 inch loaf pans. In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 white sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Spray pans with Pam and them dust with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

In large bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and 3 cups sugar. Mix in eggs, mashed bananas, yogurt (and optional lemon juice), vanilla and cinnamon. Mix salt, baking soda, and flour in separate bowl. Add all at once to banana mixture. Stir in nuts.

If you are using the two large loaf pans and mini muffins, put all three into the oven. Take the mini muffins out after 25 minutes. The large loaf pans will take about an hour and a half to cook. The smaller loaf pans are supposed to be done in 1 hour, although I've never made that size. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean.