My Kids' Favorite Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection oven). Grease a regular baking pan or a bread/loaf pan and line with parchment paper for easy removal.

In a mixing bowl, whip together the melted butter and sugar until well combined, soft, and pale white in color. Start with speed 1 and increase the speed slowly.

Add the egg and mix well.

Add the lemon juice and mix.

Add the mashed bananas and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk lightly to combine evenly.

Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Add Vanilla essence.

Fold in the pecans or walnuts. Add any optional chocolate chips, blueberries, white chocolate chips, or raspberries at this stage.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Gently tap the pan on a flat surface a few times to remove air bubbles and help even out the batter.

Bake at 350°F until fully cooked. For a regular baking pan, about 30–35 minutes. For a bread/loaf pan, about 40–45 minutes.

To check if it's done, insert a toothpick into the center. It is fully cooked when the toothpick comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. If wet batter sticks to the toothpick, continue baking for a few more minutes and check again.

Let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before slicing.