Skip The Loaf Pan And Make Your Banana Bread In This Instead

There seem to be as many tips for making the best banana bread as there are recipes for this highly adaptable sweet, but most have to do with changing the ingredients or other small tweaks. Those are all well and good, but here's a truly refreshing change: Instead of putting the batter in a loaf pan, crisp it up in a waffle iron for a delicious treat.

If you've ever heard of the different ways to cook potatoes with a waffle iron or experienced the glory of making extra-crispy grilled cheese sandwiches with one, then you already know this isn't a single-use gadget. The appliance can also turn banana bread batter into a steaming-hot delight that's crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The nooks and crannies make a superb vessel for powdered sugar, butter, or whatever else would complement your recipe. Best of all, waffled banana bread takes minutes to cook compared to the usual hour-long bake time.

Waffling the bread is pretty much as simple as heating up your iron, filling it with as much batter as is recommended by the manufacturer, and cooking it for up to six minutes. Repeat until all the batter is used up, and you have a delectable dish suitable for breakfast, dessert, or a snack (just like regular banana bread). However, a few extra tips and precautions can ensure the best end result.

When cooking banana bread in a waffle iron, mind the texture of the batter. The waffled bread will naturally be a bit more dense than a regular waffle, but if your recipe produces a super thick batter that plops rather than pours, you might want to thin it out with extra milk or water. The ideal consistency is similar to pancake batter. If the mixture is very runny, add more flour to thicken it and avoid an oozy mess when you close the iron.

Secondly, don't overmix the batter. This is one of the biggest mistakes everyone makes with banana bread as well as waffles, and leads to a dense and rubbery texture. Fold the ingredients together until just combined; small lumps throughout are actually a good thing. And for the crispiest banana delights, let your waffle iron preheat for at least 10 minutes, cook the batter until no visible steam escapes the machine, and give it a moment to re-heat after each waffle.

There are so many delicious ways to customize your unorthodox banana bread. Try waffling spiced chocolate rum banana bread and top with chocolate sauce and slices of fresh banana. A filling fluffy sweet potato banana bread recipe would make a great breakfast with maple syrup and chopped nuts. And for an autumn brunch, waffled pumpkin banana bread topped with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and pumpkin spice sounds unforgettable.