Pammy's Kitchen

Ingredients

Banana Bread Batter
• 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (50 g) almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (115 g) melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (240 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2–2½ bananas)
• ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1½ tsp vanilla paste
• ¼ almond extract (optional)

Frangipane (Almond Croissant Layer)
• 90 g almond paste (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)
• 28 g (2 tbsp) soft butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp sugar (12 g)
• ½ tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tbsp almond flour

Almond Croissant Topping
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line an 8½ × 4½ inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the bread out after baking.

Set aside.

2. Make the frangipane (almond croissant layer)

In a small bowl, combine:

Almond paste, soft butter, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, paste, and almond flour.

Using a fork, mash and mix everything together until the mixture becomes smooth and spreadable.

Set aside.

3. Prepare the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

All-purpose flour, almond flour, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk well so the leavening is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

Set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together:

Brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Whisk until smooth and glossy.

5. Add the eggs and whisk again until fully incorporated.

6. Next add:

Mashed bananas, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), vanilla paste, and almond extract (optional).

Whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and cohesive.

7. Combine the batter: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Using a spatula, gently fold everything together until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain.

Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing will make the banana bread dense.

The finished batter should be thick and creamy.

8. Pour half of the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth it into an even layer.

Add the frangipane mixture by dropping spoonfuls across the surface of the batter. Save some for the top layer.

Pour the remaining banana bread batter on top and spread it evenly.

9. Add the almond croissant topping. Sprinkle the top of the loaf evenly with the remaining frangipane mixture and sliced almonds. Sprinkle in some turbinado sugar on top.

This topping creates a crunchy almond croissant-style crust while the bread bakes.

10. . Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes. Mine is always done at 55 minutes.

The banana bread is done when:

the top is deep golden brown a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean the internal temperature reaches about 200–205°F

If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the loaf with foil during the last 10–15 minutes of baking.

11. Cool the bread

Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes.

Then lift it out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to cool for another 30–40 minutes.