Everybody loves banana bread but my brandy-spiked Christmas banana bread is perfect for Christmas morning breakfast this holiday season and a nice change from traditional fruit bread.

Christmas banana bread

This week I’ve been a little bit naughty. It happens this time of year.

Instead of my usual fruit and vege-packed smoothie for breakfast, I’ve been indulging in a little sweet treat.

Before kids, when I baked banana bread it was for my Mum.

In fact I could even blame her for giving me the idea of banana bread for breakfast because it used to be what we had when we visited at the coast – a bowl of fruit followed but a generous, warm slice spread with butter.

What makes it Christmas banana bread I hear you ask?

Well, as you might have noticed, quite a few Christmas treats are just regular foods or drinks spiked with a little alcohol and my Christmas banana bread is no different.

My Christmas best banana bread recipe is also a great way to use up the brown bananas in the fruit bowl. 

Does your fruit bowl get a little neglected when the holiday treats come out? 

I added a little brandy and upped the spices and the result is a dense but soft loaf with a hint of ‘Christmas’ in every bite.

It would be wonderful for breakfast on Christmas morning but maybe keep it away from the kiddos. 

Although I’m not sure that a tablespoon spread across an entire loaf would be that bad anyway but you can taste it.

Alcohol does generally cook off in the oven. 

How to make the best Christmas banana bread

Christmas banana bread uses just a few basic ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

Ingredients

• Butter, softened and cubed
• Brown sugar
• Caster sugar
• Eggs
• Brandy
• Self-raising flour or make your own from all purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Mixed spice
• Overripe bananas, mashed

Ingredient variations

Flour

The recipe uses self-raising flour which you can make yourself if you don’t have any using all purpose (plain) flour and baking powder. 

Alternatively, you can use spelt flour. 

Almond flour can be used to replace about 1/4 of the flour but any more than that would change the consistency of the holiday banana bread. 

Alcohol

Brandy is used as one of the secret ingredients to give this moist banana bread recipe a Christmas kick. You could also use dark rum or bourbon. 

Additions

For an extra special treat, you can add chocolate chips after the final step. 

To make it into a banana gingerbread loaf, use powdered ginger in place of the spices.

You could also add some chopped walnuts. 

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan-forced and grease and line a loaf tin with parchment paper so that it extends over the sides.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is thick.
4. Beak in the brandy then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat them through.
5. Finally, add the mashed bananas and mix just until combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Leave it to cool completely in the tin (don’t take it out onto a wire rack). 

You could make up a loaf this weekend and pop it in the freezer ready for Christmas morning.

I sliced up most of my loaf and wrapped the pieces individually then when I want a slice I just leave it out on the bench for about 10 minutes to thaw.

It tastes just as good and fresh as if it were baked the day before.

Alternatively you could bake it in mini loaf pans and freeze the individual loaves. 

It’s by no means a healthy loaf so don’t be fooled by me calling it a breakfast loaf.

There’s still quite a lot of sugar in there but you could use a wholemeal flour instead of white or honey in place of some of the sugar. 

I usually, pretty safely half the sugar in recipes and don’t notice it missing!

In fact I’d say honey would go rather nicely with the brandy.

How to serve Christmas banana bread

Serve it warm or at room temperature.

I personally prefer it a little warm.

It brings out the ‘Christmas’ flavour a little.

Ok so for the first couple of pieces I might have mixed a little cinnamon into my fancy organic butter and spread it on top.

If you want to go all out, I’d highly recommend it.

The little bit of salt from the butter combined with the cinnamon is the perfect accompaniment.

Enjoy!

What about you? What have you done to make a recipe Christmassy?

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Christmas banana bread

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Ingredients

• 100g butter, softened and cubed
• 100g brown sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 3 large very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C fan-forced and grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper so that it extends over the sides.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is thick.
4. Beak in the brandy then add the flour, bicarb and spices and beat them through.
5. Finally, add the banana and mix just until combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Leave it to cool completely in the tin.