The Secret To Kicking Your Banana Bread Up A Notch

When it comes to baking banana bread, it's basically common knowledge that it's best to use bananas that are on the brink of going bad. Whether you let them sit on the counter and wait for them to ripen, or stick them in the oven to speed up the process, using overripe bananas is an easy way to achieve the perfect flavor and balance of sweetness. If, however, you want to take that flavor to the next level, you'll need to add more than just mushy bananas.

According to a subreddit on r/cooking, the secret is to add Kahlúa to the batter. Redditor u/westest101 shared that they experimented by substituting two thirds of the water for the coffee liqueur, and the resulting banana bread was quite the crowd pleaser. Since most banana bread recipes don't call for water, or any sort of liquid for that matter, commenters in the thread were quick to point out that this ratio only applies to boxed banana bread mix. So if you want to add Kahlúa to banana bread made from scratch, the measurements are slightly different.

According to A Spicy Perspective, the most effective way to incorporate Kahlúa into homemade banana bread is with a glaze poured over top after baking. But if you'd much rather have the Kahlúa mixed into the batter, Food52's recipe for Espresso Banana Bread is a solid frame of reference. The recipe calls for either a two-ounce shot of espresso "or absurdly strong coffee," the latter of which Kahlúa arguably qualifies as, being that it's coffee liqueur.

If you're planning to work from your own recipe instead, just make sure to account for the excess moisture from the Kahlúa, because as All Recipes points out, it's the flour that makes the difference between soggy banana bread and crumbly banana bread. Food52's recipe uses one and a half cups of flour per 2 ounces of Kahlua, but whether you follow this recipe, your own, or a boxed mix, you can count on coffee liqueur to give your banana bread that extra something special.