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Funfetti Banana Bread

I recently tried out my Mother-In-Laws classic banana bread recipe, and I’m hooked. I’ve been making different variations of it, and this funfetti banana bread is my favorite variation yet!

I halved the recipe so that it only makes one loaf, and of course added a generous amount of sprinkles to the batter! I also topped it with a delicious vanilla glaze, which really takes it to the next level.

What Types Of Sprinkles Should I Use To Make Funfetti Banana Bread?

While you might think all sprinkles are created equal, they’re not. When making funfetti banana bread, you have to be sure you use the right type of rainbow sprinkle.

I find the best sprinkles that work best are rainbow jimmies. They are the longer sprinkles that you used to (and may still) put on your ice cream.

These sprinkles keep their color, and won’t bleed into your batter.

This is important, because it allows the color of the sprinkles to really shine through once the banana bread is baked.

If you really want to be picky about your sprinkles, I also recommend getting a rainbow sprinkle blend that doesn’t have any chocolate/brown sprinkles in it.

The type of sprinkle you should NOT use are the tiny, round, rainbow sprinkles. They’re called nonpareils, and they bleed their colors a lot more easily! Because they’re so small, they also don’t add that wonderful textural component.

The key takeaways? Use rainbow jimmies in this funfetti banana bread recipe!

Why is It Better To Use Overripe Bananas In Banana Bread?

Most banana bread recipes insist on using only the ripest bananas, including this one. But why are overripe bananas better to bake with??

image of super ripe brown bananas, ready to be used to make banana bread

There are actually several reasons. The first is that as a banana ripens, more of its starch is converted into sugar. This creates sweeter, more tender baked goods.

Another benefit of baking with super ripe bananas is that they’re super easy to mash up. This ensures your banana bread has a uniform, even texture without any unexpected chunks of banana.

Overripe bananas are also more aromatic, and give baked goods a more intense banana flavor than yellow bananas.

image of banana bread batter being made with super ripe, brown bananas

The final and best reason (in my opinion) is that it uses up overripe fruit that would otherwise go to waste!

With all that being said, this recipe will still turn out if you use yellow bananas. It just won’t have as intense of a banana flavor!

Baking Hack: How to Quickly Ripen Bananas For Banana Bread

If you only have yellow bananas and want that intense banana flavor, don’t worry!

You can easily turn yellow bananas brown in a matter of minutes. Preheat your oven to 300 degree F, and place your unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake them for about 15 minutes, until the banana skin is uniformly dark in color.

Let them cool on that pan for 10 minutes, then carefully peel and mash them.

image of moist classic banana bread, sliced and ready to be eaten

Substitutions and Swaps

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all of these ingredients on hand!

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

  • Overripe Bananas – If you don’t have overripe bananas on hand, bake your bananas at 350 F for about 15 minutes until the skin of the bananas are black.
  • Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice really helps enhance the banana flavor in this recipe, and prevents the mashed bananas from browning!
  • All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with AP flour, but you can use cake flour or a gluten free flour blend in its place if needed.
  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter in this recipe. Just be sure to omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Granulated Sugar – I think this banana bread has just the right amount of sweetness, but you can either increase or decrease the amount of sugar by 1/2 cup based on your preferences.
  • Baking Powder / Baking Soda – This recipe uses both leavening agents, and in general baking soda is about 3x more potent than baking powder. If you only have one type on hand, you can swap them with that ratio in mind.
  • Whole Milk – You can also use skim milk, full-fat yogurt, buttermilk, or alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat) if you’re dairy free.
  • Eggs – If you don’t have eggs on hand or can’t eat eggs, you can use flaxseed eggs in their place or 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
  • SprinklesRainbow jimmies work best in this recipe! They keep their color well and won’t bleed their colors into the batter as they’re folded in.

Tips for Making The Best Funfetti Banana Bread:

  • Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure and then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients
  • DO NOT OVERMIX YOUR BATTER! It will make your banana bread tense and chewy. Once you start to mix in the flour, be sure to mix the batter JUST until it’s combined. It’s ok if you can still see a little bit of flour, it will get mixed in after you add the bananas.
  • To make gluten free banana bread, swap in your favorite GF flour blend for the AP flour in this recipe. Be sure to overmix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set your cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Carefully bang your loaf pan on the counter before putting it in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface
  • Use rainbow jimmies to prevent the sprinkles from bleeding in the batter.
image of funfetti banana bread

Making This Funfetti Banana Bread In Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make this funfetti banana bread in advance! It can last for a couple days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. Store the banana bread in an airtight container to keep it moist.

If you plan to immediately freeze it, I recommend waiting to make the glaze until you thaw it and plan to eat it.

This banana bread freezes extremely well! So don’t be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one for later! I like to wrap the banana bread in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil to lock in all the moisture.

When I’m ready to enjoy one of the frozen loaves, I move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Then I set it out at room temperature to let it thaw for a few hours before adding the glaze.

image of funfetti banana bread sliced and ready to be eaten

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this funfetti banana bread recipe, I’d love to hear what think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!

Yield: 8

Funfetti Banana Bread

image of funfetti banana bread sliced and ready to be eaten

This funfetti banana bread recipe is packed with sprinkles, which give it a beautiful pop of color and an extra bit of texture! It's moist, fluffy and just as beautiful as it is delicious!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Funfetti Banana Bread Recipe

  • 1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 large bananas (250 grams)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (15 grams)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (75 grams)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 1 large egg plus one egg white, room temperature (86 grams)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6 grams)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda (3 grams)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (3 grams)
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, fluffed and level (228 grams)
  • 1/3 cup whole milk (82 grams)
  • 2/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (120 grams)

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (188 grams)
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (8 grams)
  • 2 Tbsp milk, room temperature (30 grams)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams)

Instructions

Funfetti Banana Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8.5in x 4.5in loaf pan with non-stick spray or butter.
  2. Mash 1 cup of overripe bananas and combine with 1 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. This prevents the bananas from browning and brightens up their flavor. Set aside.
  3. Add 1/3 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a large bowl. Beat on a medium high speed for 2-3 minutes with either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
  4. Mix in 1 large whole egg + 1 egg white on a medium speed, and continue to mix for an additional minute, until the mixture should be fluffy and light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
  5. Add in 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Mix on a low speed until just combined.
  6. Pour in 1/3 cup of milk, and mix on a low speed until it's incorporated.
  7. Add in the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, and mix on low just until you can no longer see streaks of flour.
  8. Mix in the mashed banana/lemon juice mixture on a low speed until it is fully incorporated into the batter. Fold in 2/3 cup of rainbow sprinkles
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  10. Bake on the upper baking rack for 55-65 minutes, rotating the pan half way through to make sure it bakes evenly. If you notice the top of the loaf is browning quickly when you rotate it, cover the loaf pan with a foil tent to prevent it from over browning.
  11. Remove the loaf from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Vanilla Glaze

  1. Place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon butter, 2 Tablespoons milk, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together until smooth and no clumps remain.
  2. This glaze hardens as it sits, so cover it with plastic wrap if you don't plan to use it immediately.
  3. Pour on the cooled loaf of funfetti banana bread, and top with an additional 1/2 cup of sprinkles.

Notes

Making This Funfetti Banana Bread In Advance & Storage Tips:

You can make this funfetti banana bread in advance! It can last for a couple days at room temperature, up to a week in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. Store the banana bread in an airtight container to keep it moist.

If you plan to immediately freeze it, I recommend waiting to make the glaze until you thaw it and plan to eat it.

This banana bread freezes extremely well! So don't be afraid to make a double batch and freeze one for later! I like to wrap the banana bread in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil to lock in all the moisture.

When I'm ready to enjoy one of the frozen loaves, I move it from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Then I set it out at room temperature to let it thaw for a few hours before adding the glaze.

Different Batch Sizes:

This recipe can be doubled to make two loaves.

This recipe can also be used to make funfetti banana bread muffins. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake at 350 degrees F for 14-16 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 462Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 49mgSodium 341mgCarbohydrates 80gFiber 2gSugar 49gProtein 5g

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