Drunken Banana Bread

Bananas sautéd in Cointreau add a special and super tasty twist to this greek yogurt Banana Bread!  

Even though baking was how I first learned to cook, for a long time I didn’t bake that often. I felt like it took too much time and the results usually weren’t very healthy.  But I’ve since learned that baking is really fun and often a lot of the time needed involves hands-off time then things are in the oven. This gives me time to do things like meal prep for the week or think about new recipes for the blog.

For this recipe, I wanted to create a somewhat less traditional version of banana bread, so cooked the bananas in a little Cointreau, which gives them great flavor and makes your kitchen smell wonderful while cooking.  

How to make banana bread

Since you are cooking the bananas prior to incorporating them into the batter, this bread had a few steps that are key to a tasty result.

Mix the dry ingredients: You’ll want to do this in a small mixing bowl using a whisk so they are all incorporated together before you add them to the batter.

Cook the bananas: Slightly mash the banana with a fork before adding them to the pan. First, you melt the butter then you add the banana and Cointreau. You cook the mixture until slightly thickened and bubbling. Then remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. I prefer a slightly lighter banana taste, so if you just love bananas, you can add a second one to the recipe. No other changes are needed.

Make the batter: I typically use a stand mixer when baking as I think it just makes things easier, however, if you don’t have one you can use a hand mixer instead. At this step, you start by mixing the brown sugar and butter together. Then you add the eggs, the banana mixture and the yogurt. Once that is all blended together you’ll slowly mix in the dry ingredients.

Bake the bread: The batter goes into a greased, standard loaf pan and then into the oven for about 45 minutes. You’ll want to let it cool slightly before removing it from the pan.

Make the glaze: While the bread is cooling, mix the powdered sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl. Leave it at room temperature until you are ready to drizzle it over the bread.

Recipe Ingredients

• Ripe Bananas: You want to use really ripe, but not quite turning brown bananas.
• Butter: Whenever possible, I generally recommend European, unsalted butter for baking.
• Cointreau: This orange-flavored liqueur is key to giving the bread its flavor.
• Dark brown sugar: You can substitute light brown sugar but it may alter the color of the bread slightly.
• Eggs: Use large eggs.
• Greek yogurt: Lowfat or full-fat yogurt is the best option here. Be sure it’s plain Greek yogurt so you get the correct consistency and flavor. Yogurt is one of the secrets to keeping the bread moist without adding a lot of fat.
• Powdered sugar: This is also known as confectioner’s sugar and can be found in any major grocery store.
• Orange juice: Fresh squeezed is ideal, especially since you only need a small amount. Bottled orange juice will work if you prefer.
• Pantry staples: all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon

Tips for Storing Banana Bread

Banana bread will keep for about a week if you wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it if you want to keep it longer. To serve simply defrost if it’s been frozen and then microwave for about 15 seconds to warm it up a bit. Either way, wait until you are ready to eat it to add the glaze.

Banana Bread Serving Suggestions

This makes the perfect dish for a Sunday brunch party, and also makes a nice afternoon snack with tea. If you want to make it part of a breakfast or bunch menu I’d pair it with:

• Melon, Proscuitto and Mozzarella Skewers
• Sausage and Mushroom Egg Muffins or Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole 

More baking ideas

If you love baking, try one of these great recipes next:

• Maple Glazed Pumpkin Scones
• Orange Cinnamon Rolls
• Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones

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This post was originally published in October 2013. It was updated in January 2021 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.