BANANA BREAD WITH STREUSEL TOPPING

INGREDIENTS:

For the bread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    

1/2 cup walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips or shredded coconut (optional)

For the streusel topping:
1/4 cup all-puspose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, slightly softened and cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment then grease the parchment with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula just until combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Stir in any desired add-ins.

Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

Prepare the streusel topping by combining all ingredients in a bowl and using a fork to cut the butter evenly into the dry ingredients.

Sprinkle the streusel topping over the unbaked loaf.

Bake the bread for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer it to a cooling rack to continue cooling. Slice and serve.