My Great-Great-Grandma’s Banana Bread Recipe Is So Good, My Family Framed It

I grew up in a family filled with immigrants, where tracing my roots often feels like reaching into nothingness. I’ve often felt unsure of the lineage that shaped me because so much was lost or never passed down. 

But one moist and tender baked good always offered something solid to hold on to: a Bermudian Banana Bread recipe passed down in my family for decades. It remains one of the few pieces of my heritage that helps me feel a little more grounded in where I come from. Growing up, this quick bread is so adored that we even displayed it on a wooden plaque in our kitchen. 

My family traces its roots to Bermuda through my maternal great-great-grandmother, who was born and raised there. The archipelago, comprising hundreds of islands and islets, relies on bananas for many dishes, from savory codfish with bananas to soft, sweet quick breads like this beloved one.

I never met my great-great-grandmother—but family recipes like this one bring me closer to her and to the island. As generations separate me further from Bermuda, I turn to this banana bread to reclaim a part of my ancestral history I don’t have much access to. 

The banana bread recipe demands little: six ingredients (likely sitting in your pantry) and about an hour of attention. During a recent trip to Bermuda, I snacked my way through several versions and found that this loaf stands up to the best on the island. You’ll want to try it, especially if you have a few bananas in your kitchen that are nearing their end. 

How To Make My Great-Great-Grandma’s Bermudian Banana Bread

Whenever I make Bermudian Banana Bread, I pull out the wooden plaque my family has preserved for decades and follow the steps (spoiler: there aren’t many). So, it took several attempts over the years to get the recipe just right.

To begin, preheat the oven to 350º F. Melt 1/2 cup of margarine and let it cool slightly. Add three eggs and three ripe bananas, then mash the bananas into the mixture with a fork until the wet ingredients are well combined.

In a separate bowl, add one cup of sugar, two cups of flour, and one teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in about a tablespoon of water. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. 

Then, gently combine the wet and dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.

Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with margarine, pour in the batter, and bake for 40 to 60 minutes. The banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the pan.

Tips and Tricks For Perfect Banana Bread

To achieve a moist and delicious banana bread, a few key steps matter:

• Use very ripe bananas. Their natural sugars caramelize during baking, adding both moisture and depth of flavor.
• Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and baking soda) in one bowl, and the wet ingredients (melted butter, eggs, and mashed bananas) in another. This method helps with promoting an even distribution of the baking soda and prevents you from overmixing the flour, which can toughen the final loaf.
• Back in college, my pastry instructor drilled in one rule for quickbreads: never mix the batter more than eight times. Fewer stirs mean less gluten development, and, ultimately, a softer, more tender result.
• Customize your loaf. The traditional Bermudian version includes chopped nuts, but chocolate chips, dried fruit, or shredded coconut also work beautifully.

Making this bread takes only about an hour, but the ritual brings more than just good flavor. Each time I bake it, I feel rooted, tied to family and my culture. And as a bonus, those overripe bananas can finally transform into something delicious.