Banana Bread with Pecans and Toffee Glaze
With pecans in the mix as well as in a layer nestled in a toffee syrup on the bottom; Banana Bread with Pecans and Toffee Glaze is a treat everyone loves.
I love the Kentucky Derby; the truth is I just love horses. It’s not like I’ve ever had one but their size and beauty has often brought me to tears I just find them so magnificent and I always look forward to seeing them fly like the wind during racing season. As a young girl I loved going to the Anheuser-Busch farm near St. Louis to see the Clydesdale horses; nothing prepares you for their size until you are standing next to them, looking up.
As kids we never had the opportunity to ride horses though. That time came when I was 19 years old and met a friend who had two horses. We would ride a couple of times a week in the afternoon and I loved that we could run and gallop and not just ride with a group on a trail. I will never forget the time my horse took off running and I thought we were going to crash into a bench that was in our path. Silly me; that horse knew better and that was my first lesson in jumping; both scary and yet thrilling beyond belief!
So this weekend I know where I’ll be on Saturday; sitting in front of the TV and pretending I’m with the masses at Churchill Downs. If I plan well I’ll have my big old floppy hat on, a mint julep in hand and some treats to enjoy on the side.
Banana bread is never planned in this house; it is ALWAYS the end result of a purchase of too many bananas and not enough eating of said bananas. What else can you do with them anyhow? I admit, I was inspired when I had some bananas that needed to be used on the counter matched with having friends coming over for the race; I thought this version of banana bread must be reminiscent of the South with the abundance of pecans in the mix, right?
The word is getting out what I do over here so the whole crew from my new street will be coming over to watch the race with me. I love to cook and bake and they love to eat; perfect synergy!
Here’s to the best horse winning!
PIN ‘Banana Bread with Pecans and Toffee Glaze’
Banana Bread with Pecans and Toffee Glaze
Ingredients
For the Banana Bread:
- ¾ chopped pecans
- 5 tablespoons butter cubed
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 2 Tbsp rum optional
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup sour cream
For the Glaze:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp water
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- In a large skillet melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and bananas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in rum; set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream and banana mixture. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until moistened.
- Coat a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and coat paper with spray.
- Sprinkle the pecans on the bottom of the pan and pour the batter over them.
- Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Turn the bread out upside down and put on a plate.
- Combine the glaze ingredients; prick the top of the bread all over with a toothpick and drizzle the glaze over the bread and pecans.
Would it work without the rum? I’d hate to spend the money on it since I’d never use it otherwise.
Absolutely no problem! Hope you enjoy it!
I even modified the recipe to indicate ‘optional.’ Because I do a lot of cocktails for the blog and have so many bottles that brands have sent me, I try to find a way to use it in food too…but typically it can simply be eliminated from the recipe.
This is a great recipe!
Thanks Adam; we pretty much inhaled it. Funny how much I love this but not typical banana bread. Must be the rum!
This sounds so good! I’m married to a nut in cake hater, I love, love, love your solution!
It was sure last minute. I lived for years without nuts in cookies or cakes; now a compromise works. 🙂
What a magical bread and I loved it that you added the nuts anyway because you love them but did it so Lauren can peel them off. What a great mother who honors herself too.
I love watching the race and thankfully it’s on here but at a wacky time. I never miss it.
May your horse win!
I’m trying my friend; my girls still are often stuck in that land of every thought I have should be about them; this was a nice compromise.
Yum, the combination of bananas and rum never gets old. Love the translation of bananas foster flavours into this beautiful banana bread. Haha… I am exactly the same in regards to banana bread making. Always the product of overripe bananas in the fruit bowl and a fear of wasting them! Hope that your girl settles in well when she reaches Las Vegas xx
My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail:( This looks fantastic! I hope your daughter has a safe trip. And a virtual hug goes to you! Sob, sob.
You are always welcome…I’ve asked you to come over a bazillion times! Hugs all around right? Sob, sob is right. 🙂
Sounds delicious, Barbara! Enjoy your weekend.
The glaze looks so good. I would put that on any kid of bread 🙂
It was not bad straight off the spoon. 🙂
I am sure Lauren will enjoy this on her drive to Las Vegas. It seems to me that you are going to have to plan some road trips soon to visit your daughters. I am sure it is bittersweet seeing them move away. How wonderful that they both have jobs and are excited about what’s to come…but hard that they are not just a quick drive away.
You hit all the nails on the head; though Lauren is only a 90 minute plane trip. Plus she’s coming back every couple of months for her checkups; she doesn’t want to change oncologists. I guess I’ll be making a trip to Vegas; never my dream but now my plan!
I guess if you never buy rum, rum flavoring would work. But why wouldn’t you not buy rum? 😉 Great recipe — nice twist on a classic. We do sometimes make banana bread without having ripe bananas — nuking them a bit makes them almost as good as ones that are headed over the hill.
Exactly John. WHY? 🙂
Like you, I never plan to make banana bread…the overripe bananas sitting ignored on my counter are what prompt me to bake it. I do love it though as it was a staple of my Mom’s baking arsenal. She made a great one but never did she make bananas foster bread! It looks wonderful Barb. This post made me think of my Dad as well, he loved horses…collected beautiful China figurines of them and always watched the big races on TV. I think one of the most beautiful things to watch are horses running wild and free.
Best wishes to Lauren on her move and new job and I hope that you are feeling better and stronger as each day passes.
I love to watch them too. There are a couple of horses on the dirt road that is by my home that I like to take to the highway…I love seeing them gallop around; I’ll often stop just to watch and enjoy the moment.
I am feeling better; tired today but that’s to be expected; thinking maybe a nap is in order. After a slice of this bread. 🙂