BLUEBERRY BANANA BREAD with STREUSEL TOPPING {Recipe}

I’ve been seeing all these cute Pie in a Jar and Cupcake in a Jar ideas and thought it would be fun to make one of my favorite recipes in a jar.   My banana bread recipe is to die for.  It is super moist and sweet and really is more like a dense cake than a bread.  It won my husband’s heart when we were dating!  At least he likes to say that to get me to make it.  It is my favorite way to use up the oodles of bananas that go brown before we get around to eating them.

BTW, here is a tip for you.  Putting bananas in the fridge will turn the skins brown, but it will keep the actual banana from ripening as quickly as it does on the counter.

I decided to make banana bread in a jar, and while I as making them I decided to add some fresh blueberries and a streusel topping.  Let me tell you, these are dangerous!  I think I could have eaten half of them or more!

Here they are fresh out of the oven.  Aren’t they adorable?  Mason jars are made to be heated to high temps, so they are perfect for cooking in.  I had to search high and low for these 1 cup wide mouth jars and finally found them at Ace Hardware for $10 for 12 of them.

To package them I used my Silhouette to cut a scalloped circle with black vinyl.  I then wrote the name of them on the label with some chalk.  I have found that black vinyl works well for chalkboard.  If I had a chalk pencil (like you use for sewing) it would have made the writing much easier!

Here is my recipe.  Let me know how you like it!

Recipe: Banana Bread

Yield: 2 Loaves (or 12 8 oz. jars)

Ingredients:

• 2 ¾ c. flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• ½ c. white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 c. ripe mashed bananas (about 7-8 medium)
• 2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
• 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional) {I did not use these with the blueberries}
• 1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries {will need to cook longer if using frozen}

Streusel topping:

• 1/2 c. rolled oats (quick or regular)

• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

• 1/4 c. flour

• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 c. cold butter cut into cubes

• 1/2 c. chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions: In a medium bowl combine first three ingredients with a wire whisk. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat for a couple minutes till it looks fluffy. Add bananas and vanilla and mix well. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Add the flour mixture and walnuts, then blend on low until just combined. Don’t over mix. Pour into bread pans or jars sprayed with cooking spray.

Make the streusel topping:  Mix the first 4 ingredients together. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or even your fingers. Add the chopped nuts.

Top the banana bread with a layer of streusel topping.  If making bread in jars, you will have some topping left over.

Bake on center rack of a 325° oven for 60-70 minutes for loaves, or at 325° for 40-50 minutes.  Jars should be placed on a baking sheet to keep them from tipping.  A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean (unless it hits a chunk of banana).  Bread should pull away from sides slightly and it should be a medium golden brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Turn bread pans on their sides to allow them to cool completely.  Leave in jars until completely cooled before securing lids.