Coffee cake style Apple Cider Banana Bread

Bake It Your Way

You know what’s underrated? Understanding how to actually customize a recipe. Because sometimes you want something light and cozy for breakfast, and other days… you want the kind of banana bread that borders on cake. Today I'm going to teach you how to customize your own banana bread and also make th It’s warm, spiced, and just sweet enough — and I’m giving you three versions so you can make it fit your mood (and your pantry). Whether you like it low-sugar, balanced, or fully sweet and cozy, the key is knowing what each tweak actually does. Let’s talk about that.

Ingredients

• The Base Recipe (Customize From Here)

  Ingredients:

  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)

  • ½ cup apple cider (or reduced cider for stronger flavor)

  • 2 eggs

  • ¼ cup neutral oil or melted butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

  Sugar Options:

  • Low Sugar: 2 tbsp brown sugar (or honey/maple syrup)

  • Balanced: ½ cup brown sugar

  • Full Sweet: ¾ cup brown sugar + 2 tbsp white sugar

  Optional Add-ins:

  • ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  • ¼ cup diced apple or apple chips

  • A sprinkle of coarse sugar on top for crunch

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9x5” loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

• In another bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, and applesauce until smooth. Fold wet ingredients into dry until just combined — do not overmix.

• fold in grated zucchini and walnuts, and pour batter into prepared loaf pan, smooth the top.

• Bake 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve with honey, yogurt, labneh, olive oil, and figs!

Why Apple Cider?

Apple cider adds warmth, moisture, and a subtle tartness that cuts through the sweetness of banana bread. It’s like autumn in a loaf pan.
Plus, if you simmer the cider down just a little before baking, you get an even richer flavor (and a house that smells like a Yankee Candle factory in the best way).

Understanding the Sugar Balance

Sugar doesn’t just sweeten — it affects texture.

• Less sugar = denser, more bread-like.

• More sugar = softer, moister, more dessert-y.

That’s why I wanted to show you all three — so you can decide where you land.