rye whiskey banana bread
January 6, 2014 § 70 Comments
I know, it’s the new year and we should be cutting back on spirits. However, with three overly ripe bananas and this jacked-up banana bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen I just had to indulge with just two more tablespoons of rye whiskey, to be exact. It’s a fabulous post over at Smitten Kitchen and you really should go read it and then bake some banana bread. No mixer required, just smash and mix with a wooden spoon. And, if you notice there is only 3/4 cup of light brown sugar. This bread is naturally sweetened with overly ripe bananas. My kind of sweet bread.
I n g r e d i e n t s
3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted salted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons rye whiskey (not optional, well, ok…optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 cups flour
Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, rye whiskey and then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE 
Yum
This looks delightful! Yum!
Thank you! :)
Lovely recipe and nice looking bread. I never would have thought of combining rye with banana bread. I have been reading and enjoying Deb’s blog for years.
Me too Richard. Her books are especially nice too. She has such wonderful narrative doesn’t she! It was nice to “jack up” the banana bread a little… :)
Wow! I was just going to make this tonight. I hadn’t thought about putting booze in it, just chocolate chunks. Maybe I’ll add a little fun to the mix too. This looks great!
:) I hadn’t thought of it either and when I saw the Smitten Kitchen post I thought…”of course!” and it was great I just happened to have a wonderful bottle of rye whiskey sitting on the counter from New Year’s Eve. Good day!
Rye whiskey “not optional” – nice!
:) you agree…right?
Yep! :-D
I love this Seana… I know the recipe says loaf pan, but I love how the bread has a scalloped look. It’s so pretty. Bundt pan? I want to try this!!
Yes, I did use a bundt pan. Believe it or not I do not own a loaf pan! I broke mine several months ago and have yet to remember to pick up a new one. :) Goes to show how often I bake! Thank you Prudy…
She is so brilliant and she irritates me at the same time. Long live Deb Perelman. Thank you for sharing. Yours looks gorgeous.
You are hilarious! :) I know. She is the one who finally pushed me to start a food blog. I heard her interview on NPR a year ago and I thought “if she can do it, I can too!” She is brilliant…
This cake will warm you up.
Good point Jovina. :)
When did two more tablespoons ever hurt anyone? ;) Beautiful.
NEVER! :) If anything it helps, right! Two tablespoons of whiskey is something the doctors used to prescribe…right?
I was thinking of making banana bread today… So I will try this! Bourbon will be delightful, but I am sure brandy or rum would be tasty, too. Well done – so creative and beautiful, Seana. Best wishes, Shanna
Great Shanna! Hope you enjoy if you do follow this recipe, we really liked it. I never have brandy or rum in the house although I know they are both used quite a bit in baking. Thank you for your ever so kind comments. :)
Hi, Seana. I am doing some experimentation with my healthy banana bread recipe today and making yours as well. Just adding booze to both! Happy New Years!
nice! Let me know how they turn out! Sounds wonderful.
Who exactly said that we should be cutting back on spirits?! Luckily I did not get that memo! It’s my favourite. We have a bottle of Canadian Club Maple Rye Whiskey on hand at the moment – it is DIVINE. A big yes to adding it to banana bread – love the look of this cooked in a bundt cake pan. Haul out the bundt cake pans…. here I go….
Happy New Year Seana!
We do think alike Lindy. :) My favorite is Templeton Rye, have you tried it? Your Maple Rye sounds fantastic. Hope you add it to your banana bread, you’ll love it. Does it have a hint of maple to it? Even better if so!
It does have a hint of maple Seana – but it’s not sweet – it’s definitely whiskey and not a liqueur. Very warming this winter of all winters in Kingston, Ontario!
I love the overhead shot. I did some recently that involved me standing on the kitchen table. The Wife was not impressed!
hahaha. I know, I read that post and it cracked me up. And I think you had your tripod up there with you, right?
Yes, that too.
I love the added rye whiskey in here,…Yummy even more,…. :)
Thank you Sophie…all the credit goes to Smitten Kitchen. Spot on.
When the weather turns a little nicer, I’m going to have to go out and buy some bananas and let them turn soft as this banana bread sounds especially good. :)
You must be getting a bit of snow eh? Hope you are staying warm and snug Karen! We are having quite a mild winter so far. Thank you!
I’m happy that you winter has been mild…that is so nice. Friday we are suppose to get above freezing for a few days and it will be very welcome. :)
Love the idea of adding a little slosh of whiskey to this cake! It looks and sounds wonderful!
Thank you, it didn’t last long once I put it on the serving plate… :)
What a great idea adding rye whiskey to your cake. I have a half bottle of Bulliett Rye Whiskey in my cabinet and I think I am inspired by this recipe to add some to my next cake. Lovely Photo.
Yes do it! I really like Bulleit Rye…and thank you for your kind comment. :)
Gorgeous looking cake, and I’m going with the rye!
Good call! :)
I am so making this!!!! Totally my kind of cake–simple and boozy and yummy and I already have everything on hand. Thanks :-)
Are you the one who recommended Templeton rye? I bought a bottle (on your recommendation, if it was you) and have yet to open. Still a fourth of so of a bottle of Bulleit left. So excited to try this “bread.” Like how you made it in a cake pan.
yes! I am the one who recommended Templeton Rye. It’s wonderful, my favorite for sure. Let me know how you like it and the bread too. :)
just pulled the “bread” out of the oven. Used a Bundt pan like you did. also stirred in a large handful of cacao nibs and then dusted the top (which is really the bottom, I realized after the fact) with chocolate salt. Haven’t even waited for it to cool and can already say YUM! :-) So happy! Will put it up on my deLizious facebook page if you are on fb.(but I think you are not??) Thanks for sharing the recipe.
This makes me so happy. I’m so glad you made some and added some greatness to it too! Chocolate salt sounds heavenly. It’s funny because I almost turned it upside down too, I mean that’s what you do with a bundt cake…right? Then at the last second I realized the top actually looked better. This is wonderful Liz. Yeah…I know…I’m so “out of touch” not using fb.
No sweat I’m fb. I’m only on for my business. Though in the end it serves the same function as my blog: to make it look like I am working when I am really playing :-)
I’m very partial to a bundt pan myself, so I figure you’re fine without a loaf pan! This sounds like a really fine take on banana bread.
I like the bundt pan too. I remember when I acquired my first bundt pan I baked every single bread and cake in it for years. :)
This sounds like my kind of recipe! I definitely want to try and it’s never time to cut back on spirits :)
Agree. Haven’t cut back yet…I think I would have to add a cup of rye whiskey to this recipe to really taste it, to be honest! :)
Good recommendation! I am definitely always trying to make sure the booze are coming through in the flavor :) Or at least adding to the texture.
Fantastic, I have some overly ripe banana’s that are begging to become banana bread. YUM!!
Hope you get a chance to make some. Can’t tell you how many times I have put overly ripe banana’s into the compost! I need to stop doing that and just whip up some banana bread. I was reminded how simply and easy it is when I made this…
Oooh! This looks incredible!
My kind of dessert, especially with the not optional whiskey :-)
Bourbon and banana bread! Must be wonderful!
Gosh, y’all like to have a drink or what! I am joking. It’s just funny to read through the comments. I don’t drink at all any more. And I’ve never been keen on booze in food for some reason. Although, I used to like tiramisu. Anyway, bread looks great. For someone who doesn’t bake often it’s turned out really well.
Right!? So true…about the not baking often, however, I have to say I am trying to change that. I have actually baked a few things more recently and although I don’t really eat baked goods too much there are a few folks in this house who love them. And I am surprised too with all the comments about the whiskey! :) Fun.
I like the way you think :) Delicious sounding recipe!
[…] bread is inspired by Deb Perelman’s recipe from from Smitten Kitchen and Seana’s recipe from Cottage Grove […]
I bet your banana bread was heavenly. Jacked up is good. :)
It must be really delicious!!!
This looks beautiful and just the thing with a warm mug of something this time of year. And I agree that the whiskey should remain, not optional! Hope you’re enjoying a blessed New Year with interesting days ahead…
Thank you Rhonda. It is so nice to hear from you. :) And I hope you have a wonderful New Year as well.
booze and banana bread? Brilliant!
Yummy! I ADORE banana bread and I love the shine that your has – must be that whiskey ;)
Thank you! I love banana bread too and just don’t seem to bake it as often as I’d like. And I bet it is the whiskey giving it that shininess!
Gorgeous glossy-looking cake. Yum! Sounds fabulous. I often make two banana breads at once. Love the idea of a boozy one for the husband and I to take to work; and a standard one for the kids. Delicious spice combination, especially the pinch of cloves.
[…] And speaking of sharing recipes, I’ve been on a bit of a banana bread binge lately after finding two renegade recipes on favorite food blogs that demanded to be made. The Cottage Grove House rocked my world with its Rye Whiskey Banana Bread […]
This is a easy and simple way of making banana bread. The bread looks delicious, have great color and appears like it will melt in your mouth. This rye whiskey banana bread is the perfect finish to any meal. Yummy!!!!
Why thank you very much Yvonne, that was a very kind comment…thank you for stopping in tonight.
This is really great post! Banana recipe with drink really beautiful combination. Thanks for sharing this.