It should come as no surprise that I relate to the world through food. Sure, I’m fairly well adjusted, I can carry on a warm conversation and function in life, but in the secret world that is my brain, I’m always trying to understand the world around me by relating it to something I’ve eaten.
Crazy? Maybe. Confusing? Let me explain.
Say I walk into my parents’ house and am greeted with a hug and kiss from my father. That’s just like eating a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream smothered with warm dulce de leche sauce. The hug from my dad and the ice cream create the same feeling in my brain. Get it?
The smell of fresh rain on concrete is just like eating a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.
Having a heart to heart with my mom is just like sipping Earl Grey tea with extra sugar and milk.
Getting a paper cut is just like taking a shot of cheap tequila with salt and dry limes.
Falling absolutely, head over heals, silly in love with someone is just like smooth bourbon and cigarettes at midnight.
Sitting next to Grandmother at the dinner table and feeling her almost thoughtlessly stroke my hand as if it were her own… that’s just like this perfectly spiced Banana Cranberry Bread. Yes, there’s that much comfort in the bread. It’s the real deal.
Is this making any sense? My head has been in the clouds lately. Chalk it up to lots of bourbon and cigarettes at midnight.
Wherever my head is these days, I do know amazing banana bread when it crosses my path- thank goodness for that.
Banana Cranberry Bread
thank you to SmittenKitchen who thanks SimplyRecipes
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4-1 cup light brown sugar, depending on the level of sweetness you prefer
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cup of flour
1 cup fresh cranberries
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, mix. Add the cranberries, and stir until just incorporated. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
100 Responses
What can be used instead of bourbon?
Almond Extract
Great recipe. I prefer to leave the cranberries whole and add walnuts or pecans.
Heyyyy, thank YOU! :)))
After a winter injury, my dominant hand is not as functional as it always was. Sooo, baking had to take a back seat for the last year or so, until I found this 1-bowl/wooden-spoon-cranberry-banana-loaf!!! It’s terrific in that it’s a short stint in the kitchen, very few dishes – okay>>>giving credit where it’s due>>>almost none! yay.
There’s no lugging out the appliances and extra bowls and such, and there’s no sacrificing flavour and eye-appeal. Yes, big hugs and ummm, did I say thank YOU?! :)))
You don’t have the measurement for flour in this recipe.
It’s under the pinch of cloves, easy to miss, 1 and a half cups
Can you use Craisins in a pinch???
sure!
love the prelude, love the bread. it is indeed a really comforting bread!:))
I’ve got lots of leftover homemade cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, and I was wondering if you would suggest substituting that for the cranberries. Do you think that might work?
Hi, thinking is using leftover whole cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving for this recipe. Any adjustments I should consider?
How completely cool!! I didn’t relazie you guys were over there. I bet Linda is enjoying NOT getting ready to go back to school – she’s quite the hoola hoop pro, who knew?? Thanks for sharing!!
joy
can i use vegetable oil as a sub for butter. I rarely buy butter and always keep oil at hand. how much oil would i need?
You can Google the correct ratio of Vegetable oil to butter, but I’m not sure you’ll get the same results. It’s worth a shot.
Hi Joy,
Do you think I could use craisins in this recipe?
go for it!
Made this yesterday and it was so very good! Didn’t have any bourbon but did have just enough Grand Marnier. Also added the zest of an orange. Those where the only subs I made in the recipe. Totaly on the money!!! So simple and so darn good!!! :)
I just made this bread and it’s wonderful…..couldn’t wait for it to cool. I didn’t have enough fresh cranberries so I added some dried cherry/cranberry mixture. It came out fine. I used almost a cup of brown sugar, 4 bananas, and since I didn’t have the bourban, I added a tablespoon of sugar free vanilla syrup. Wonderful!!
Thank you for sharing! This is cooking in my oven now! yum!
After a long day of fasting this is one great thing to look forward to after sunset.
The aroma woke my husband up from a deep sleep!
YUM!
Best rainy day recipe I’ve made in along time. Mmmmmm so good. Thank you !
Thanks Joy! I just put this in the oven. Oh, my! The mixture is so good. So good. I didn’t have any bourbon so took a wild leap and added Frangelico instead. I sprinkled a bit of raw sugar on top (like your cranberry coffee cake). Can’t wait to share with my colleagues tomorrow!
Thank you! Delish! I just made it today and used chocolate chips instead of cranberries and it was lovely. Thank you. This is a keeper of a recipe for sure!
I love this banana bread. It’s so yummy and comforting.
Ha! I made almost this very dish – and got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen as well! (The only difference being I added toasted walnuts as well). It was crazy delicious and I recommend it to pretty much anyone. Having the banana bread a few times, my one tip is to go with 4 bananas rather than three – it’s more moist that way.
Just came across this tonight, looked at the ingredients & just happened to have them all in the kitchen & I was in there immediately making this! It’s snowing outside, traffic is crap & I am home, warm with this in the oven…it doesn’t get better than this! Thank you for posting this!
If I dont have bourbon can I sub it with something else? Dark Rum, Cognac?
This is one of the best banana breads I have ever had. Must be the bourbon! :) Thanks for this keeper.
Just tried this yesterday and have two more in the oven. Y.U.M.
Hello! I found your web like 2 months ago. And today I made this bread. =D
Although it didn’t come as good as yours. Because I made a few variations hahaha, instead of using baking soda i used baking powder. I think that affected my bread. I didn’t have bourbon so I used Liquor 43, and also added some walnuts. I think it was not as moist as yours, but it definitely had a great flavor, So today i’m trying it again. With all your ingredients. I’m so happy I found this recipe, yours has to be the best baking blog i’ve ever seen =D.
Greetings from México!!
okay that’s it, i’m making this right now. actually dropping everything and making it.
Are there any dietary breakdowns for your recipes, such as this yummy looking cranbery banana bread? I’m on Weight Watchers, but I still love baked goods. I’d love to know what the caloric content is. Cheers, Laurie
This bread is incredible. Can’t wait until I get four more ripe bananas to whip it up for work. Thank you Joy
Hi Joy,
Am a regular at your site now. I love the presentation and write ups, and of course, the yum recipes. I’ve tried out a couple and my family loved them.
But what prompted me to put in this comment is your write up here. I’ve always related EVERYTHING in life with food – flavour, texture, smell. And everyone around me has found it very strange. But as years went by I realized it’s my love of food. I think food. And am happy I’ve found a kindred soul. :D
Hi Joy,
I’m making this bread again tomorrow. I’m a repeat commenter…that’s how good it was. You have a wonderful blog here. Thanks!
It’s a beautiful bread, Joy! I made it this morning…had some for breakfast, and it’s so good I’m having it for dinner tonight too! I added pumpkin seeds to mine. Yum!! Thanks! sheila
Thanks for sharing. I made this tonight and posted it on my blog. I linked back to yours.. I hope you don’t mind. It is really delisious!!
okay that’s it. I’m baking banana bread. I make a mean one with cherries, but cranberries – that’s a stroke of genius… I wonder if I could use dried ones instead. Hard to find fresh here in oz… hmmm…
oh love your blog! yay!
a soon-to-be-banana-bread-munching reader…
thea.
Xx
(www.forthevisionaries.tumblr.com)
Your words spoke directly to my heart and to the heart of my 16 yr. old daughter, which was shared during a moment of bliss between a mother and daughter who are polar opposites and seldom find things to agree on. Thank you, and I cant wait to try your beautiful bread!
I love to make banana bread.My family loves it,but Ive never done one with cranberries.This looks very good.It 80 degrees outside,but my bananas are ready so I’m going to make one right now.Wish me luck.Yours look so good I hope mine looks as good and taste good too.
I’ve got bananas sitting in my freezer, and since I love fresh cranberries, this is the perfect use! But I don’t want to spend grocery money on a bottle of bourbon that I won’t drink – should I up the butter a little bit?
What a great recipe!! This is the BEST banana bread. I made it this morning as the snow fell, and it made a great toasty snack with a cup of tea. I substituted the bourbon for Grand Marnier. It was awesome!! I also added a brown sugar crumb topping. I will keep this one as a favorite :)
Hello, I made your banana cranberry bread and I must say it’s the best bread I’ve ever made! Thank you for the great recipe. It will go in my cookbook as one of my favorites. So good, in fact, I posted your blog on twitter.com and it even got retwitted. You should get some great traffic as a result. Yum, delish!
I made this bread today but with some substitutions, i used strawberries instead of cranberries (thats all i had). I didn’t have any bourbon so, i used some yogurt ( from looking at a recipe on the food network website, Flour’s famous banana bread) and walnuts. It turned out nice and moist and just the perfect sweetness (3/4 c light brown sugar). So, thank you for this wonderful recipe, Joy :)
This bread is delicious! I love your website-it is informative and elegant.
We made this great bread on Christmas Eve for Christmas morning. It is Delicious!! Thanks Joy!
The recipe looks great EXCEPT for the bourbon. Is the alcohol necessary? If omitted will I need to increase the butter?
Saw this recipe and I couldn’t resist: It’s in the oven right now.
Good lord, I can smell the cake baking already…
I must make this for the weekend, fresh banana bread, yum!
Can I use frozen berries though? we have no fresh ones here…
Thanks again for another lovely recipe! My freshly-4-year-old little boy LOVES to help me bake. He knows that you are supposed to “scoop and level” flour, and that teaspoons are smaller than tablespoons. He loves to smell the different spices, and mash bananas with a potato masher. We just made this batter up, and it’s baking – perfuming our home as I type this. Gotta love one-bowl recipes, too! :)
~Christine (& Travis)
This bread is yummy, yummy, yummy! Wow! I didn’t have any bourbon, so I substituted spiced rum. Super delicious. I am making loaves three and four today. ;O) This is what I’m giving my neighbors for Thanksgiving. Pure bliss! Thanks, Joy!!!
Yummy! I made this with my kids tonight and it was super easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing…you inspire me to create special memories for and with my children.
I love what you wrote here, about certain foods just *being* certain experiences or people to you. And the thing about your grandma stroking your hand? Perfect. I don’t even like cranberries, and you’ve got me wanting the bread.
I love banana bread but I’m not a fan of cranberries in bread. Usually because the cranberries are too sour. This, however, looks like a combo that might cancel that problem out. Thanks for doing the experimenting for us!
I love you posting everyday, it’s awesome!
Probably a bit tiring from your end though :)
not to worry Amanda! i post there too. i’m trying to take over the world with my banana cranberry bread. :)
Hey Joy, do you also post here https://snagwiremedia.com/banana-cranberry-bread/? They are using your pics.
looks wonderfully warm and comforting!! but bourbon and cigarettes at midnight–that’s exciting!
do you have a good tomato soup recipe?
This looks so good! What a great combination. I will definitely have to keep this in mind of holiday brunches.
Oh my gosh… You TOTALLY solved my dilemma of what to do with the bag of cranberries I have in the fridge… Thank you!!!
I have brown bananas, yippee! I can make this bread. Love the addition of cranberries!
I loved your almond and raspberry bread, I will love this one as well, I’m sure !
ahh yes, food, smells, and memories. i’d have to say a warm, fresh-from-the-oven chocolatey brownie with a little crust around the edges to keep it standing and a sweet, soft center to dive into has gotta be my food equivalent for my man. love this recipe!
i’m completely convinced. you couldn’t have written a better, more alluring prelude to this recipe even if you tried!
Sounds amazing!
looks amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing (gasp!)
I love the relation of life to food, how neat. You could totally do a book on mood foods, with things to eat to feel those ways. :)
Wow!!! This post is absolutely beautiful. Thanks for always sharing your awesome recipes and stories.
It makes perfect sense to me…I associate smells of food with memories and feelings. Right now, my apartment is filled with the smell of baking brioches and that takes me right back to my childhood in Germany. And oddly enough, I’m sipping Earl Grey tea now!
what a great idea- banana bread is so sweet that I’m sure tart cranberries would be the perfect compliment. I might have to make some to bring with me when I visit my in-laws for Thanksgiving!
No, not crazy at all… :-)
I made the “All Purpose holiday cake” this weekend, and it was a big hit with the family! Chopping up all those apples though…I must really love them! What I’m getting at is that I have almost a whole bag of cranberries left over…I’m SO making this!! I hope they can eat fast enough to keep up with my baking…
hhmm, should I send up a new supply of bourbon for you?! my idea of falling in love is dark chocolate and flutes of champagne. LOTS of both!
Ha its nice how you relate to food in every day situation :) This bread looks so nice!! the colours are ideal for christmas :) ha I m relating events to food too!! maybe you re not alone :)
Girl, from your lips to God’s ears. You are so right!
This totally explains why I would rather eat a plate of fried green tomatoes than a lean cuisine.
I’m glad I found you~ I’ll be back.
My oldest would LOVE this bread! I’m going to have to give it a try this week… I’ve bought several bags of cranberries to keep on hand throughout the winter, and this looks like a good way to begin using them.
Your bread looks lovely and I believe I really can feel the comfort just reading your post! Probably because I can feel the grandmother stroking my hand in my mind even though it physically never happens anymore. Great post.
For real, this made me a little teary. And I don’t get teary. You’ve put words to thoughts that until now made sense only to me. On a regular Monday morning, I’m extremely grateful to you for that.
I never liked banana bread, but this one looks incredible good!
And I don’t think it’s crazy to relate to the world through food. Food is kind of emotion, isn’t it? But maybe that’s hard to understand for members of the fastfood generation. :-)