If you’ve ever been in the dining hall and passed up bananas that have seen better days, maybe reconsider.
Overripe, brown bananas are in perfect condition for banana bread. As bananas ripen, their starches convert into sugar. As your bread bakes, those natural sugars caramelize and create that rich dark brown color of the perfect banana bread.
In a dorm room, the permeating smell of freshly baked banana bread may seem hard to achieve. However, if you grab those overripe bananas, you can make a personal loaf with a mug and a microwave.
I followed a recipe for banana bread in a mug by Justine published in the online blog “The Typical Mom” in April 2024.
The ingredient list is fairly standard, although not everything may be commonly found in the dorm room. The recipe calls for one-fourth cup of flour, one-fourth cup of brown sugar, one-fourth cup of oats, one-fourth teaspoon of baking soda, two tablespoons of sugar, one banana, one-eighth teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. You will need a microwave safe mug or bowl, measuring cups and something to mix your ingredients with.
Combine all of your ingredients in your microwave safe mug. I didn’t have any on hand, so I excluded the oats from my recipe. That appeared to be for the best as, upon mixing, I found the batter was very dry and my ingredients wouldn’t combine. If I had added the oats, it would have been even more difficult to combine. To remedy this, I had to add about two tablespoons of water to the batter. This did the trick, as the batter came together and was ready to be put into the microwave.
The mug then went in for three minutes, although the recipe calls for an additional minute depending on your microwave. You can check if your bread is done by inserting a wooden toothpick or the teeth of a clean metal fork into the center. If it comes out clean, your bread is done. If it comes out with batter or wet crumbs, put it back in to continue baking.
My banana bread came out a bit dense but still fluffy. This recipe is best enjoyed warm, but even after going in the refrigerator, it was still just as good. I served mine plain, although you can easily add whatever topping you desire. This would pair very well with chocolate, honey, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nuts, whipped cream or even more banana slices.
Next time you pass by those overly ripe bananas in the dining hall, think about the delectable desserts you can make with them from the comfort of your dorm room.
