The 3-Ingredient Combo That Will Make Your Banana Bread 10x More Delicious - Tasting Table

"When you want a delicious homemade baked good without worrying that it will turn out dry and underwhelming, banana bread is the ultimate low-stress treat to whip up. The bananas themselves supply moisture and flavor to the loaf, which gives it some insurance against drying out. However, if your bread still ends up less soft and moist than you'd like, it's time to break out a three-ingredient miracle formula: sour cream, brown sugar, and melted butter."

"Sour cream is the creamy ingredient you need for ultra-moist banana bread because it's extra fatty - which contributes to a rich crumb - yet thick in consistency. It won't make your batter thin and runny, which would produce a flat loaf. The acid in this ingredient also creates a softer texture by tenderizing the gluten in the flour, and its slight hint of tangy flavor adds a delicious depth."

"Meanwhile, brown sugar not only has a deep, rich caramel taste, but it contains more moisture than white sugar. This further ensures your bread won't be dry or bland. Lastly, melted butter can actually be better than room-temperature butter for rich, dense baked goods like banana bread, as it contributes to an even moister crumb with a bigger buttery flavor. All of these items are clearly top ingredients to improve your banana bread, and their power only increases when you use all three."

Sour cream, brown sugar, and melted butter together prevent dry, bland banana bread by boosting moisture, fat, and flavor. Bananas add initial moisture and flavor, but the three ingredients provide reliable insurance against dryness. Sour cream contributes fat for a rich crumb, thick consistency that avoids a flat loaf, acid that tenderizes gluten, and a subtle tang. Brown sugar supplies deep caramel flavor and retains more moisture than white sugar. Melted butter yields a moister, denser crumb and stronger buttery flavor than room-temperature butter. Using all three ingredients maximizes moistness, richness, and overall taste in banana bread.

Read at Tasting Table