The Special Topping Joanna Gaines Adds To Her Banana Bread Batter

Of all the baked goods out there, banana bread is certainly one of the most comforting. There's nothing better than a warm slice to start your morning, or a toasted and buttered slice for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Beyond being comforting, banana bread is also one of the most versatile baked goods, and its base recipe is full of possibilities for creative additions and experiments. Whether your favorite mix-ins are walnuts, chocolate chips, or coconut, a warm slice of sweet banana bread is guaranteed to add a bit of sunshine to your day. For Joanna Gaines, that bit of sunshine comes from adding granulated sugar to the top of the banana bread batter, just before putting it in the oven.

Gaines' After-School Banana Bread recipe is a hit among her kids, and we can see why. When mashing up the banana, she likes to leave some small chunks so the bread itself has a bit of texture. She uses a stand mixer, too, making it super easy to whip up last-minute. In terms of toppings, Gaines thinks that this recipe is good enough on its own without any additions, though nuts or chocolate chips are always welcome. The last unique twist on this staple recipe which Gaines swears by is her addition of granulated sugar to the top. Once it's in the loaf pan, she covers the entire surface of it with sugar, making it extra sweet and adorned with a lovely crust.

You might add granulated or turbinado sugar to the tops of your muffins to achieve that bakery-style crispy topping. Now imagine that delectable crust on the top of your banana bread, so that with each slice, you get that same crispy-crunchy texture on top. If you're watching your sugar, you may not want to add even more of it to the already-sweet banana bread. However, we think it's one of Gaines' best baking tips for a unique, show stopping version of a classic baked good.

While Gaines' recipe is worth a try, we suggest adding this sugary topping to other banana bread recipes as well, like our brown butter banana bread. Just like the sugar crust, brown butter is the secret ingredient your baked desserts are missing; it adds a ton of complexity to a recipe and is a great way to give it a bit of pizzazz. And if you aren't a big fan of banana bread, that's okay: Gaines' banana bread trick would work beautifully over a loaf of classic zucchini bread as well.