My little brother dated a girl named Meg in high school, and somewhere along the way she became one of my dearest friends. As we grew older, our lives always seemed to stay in sync. We got married within months of each other, became moms and managers of busy households and somehow always found ourselves in the same stage of life. It is one of my life’s greatest blessings. 

On dreary Pacific Northwest days, we’d let the kids run amok while enjoying steaming mugs of coffee and the most delicious banana bread Meg made. I begged her for the recipe after trying it for the first time, and it’s become my go-to ever since.  

I’ve tried other recipes over the years, but I always come back to Meg’s. I’ll admit to being much more heavy-handed with cinnamon though; I just can’t help myself. My kiddos love it when I add chocolate chips and cocoa powder to it, but I enjoy it most when it’s just the way Meg made it. 

Meg’s Banana Bread Recipe 

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed 

1 cup white sugar 

1 egg 

½ cup oil 

¾ cup milk 

2 cups white or Cup4Cup gluten-free flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoon cinnamon (or to taste) 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (optional) 

1 cup chocolate chips (optional) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

1. Grease a loaf pan or muffin tin with butter.  

1. In a mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth enough to stir easily.  

1. Add sugar and egg, mixing until combined.  

1. Stir in oil and milk until smooth.  

1. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

1. Mix just until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.  

1. If you’d like to add chocolate chips and cocoa powder, now’s the time. I usually stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.  

1. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, leaving about 1 to 1½ inches of space at the top. If you have extra batter, divide it among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. 

1. Bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake the loaf for about 60 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness. I usually leave mine in a few extra minutes so the top develops a lightly crisp crust without burning. 

This story first appeared in the August issue of InMaricopa.