Banana Bread with Streusel Topping New Jersey Style
Banana Bread with Streusel Topping New Jersey Style

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping New Jersey Style

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🍌 Banana Bread with Streusel Topping – New Jersey Style

By Chef Charles Knight

“Real men don’t bake…”
That’s what I used to say—until LeAnn went off to Dallas to visit David, Melody, and little Charlee Ann. She’s always reminding me to eat a banana a day to keep the doctor away. A few mornings into her trip, I woke up to a counter full of black bananas. Waste not, want not—so I decided to bake banana bread.

🕰 A Little History

Banana bread rose to fame during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when creative home bakers found ways to stretch ingredients and minimize waste. Overripe bananas—once destined for the compost—became the star of an easy, comforting loaf. Early recipes called for pantry staples and ingenuity, much like today’s home kitchens.

Health Craft’s stainless-steel bakeware continues that legacy. It ensures even heat distribution and promotes a healthier approach to baking. When you bake with Health Craft, you’re not just creating food—you’re creating family traditions.

👨🍳 Preparation

Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Equipment:

  • 3 stainless-steel mixing bowls
  • 1 loaf pan
  • Parchment paper

🧂 Ingredients

Banana Bread

  • 3 ripe bananas (brown or black skin)
  • 4 oz (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla bean or extract
  • 2 whole eggs
  • ½ cup honey or sugar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg

Streusel Topping

  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup brown sugar

🥣 Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

  2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Scrape the sweet paste from inside the peels into the bowl for extra flavor.
    Add the butter, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, eggs, and honey (or sugar). Whisk to combine.

  3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture gently using a spatula or wooden spoon.
    Do not overmix—otherwise your banana bread may turn out dense.
    Let the batter rest 15–30 minutes before baking.

  5. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, use a fork to combine butter, flour, and brown sugar until crumbly. Set aside.

  6. Prepare the pan: Butter the inside of the loaf pan.
    Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the width of the pan with 3–4 inches overhang on both sides—these “handles” will help lift the bread out easily.

  7. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle evenly with the streusel topping.

  8. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
    If the streusel begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

  9. Cool the loaf in the pan for 30 minutes, then lift out using the parchment handles. Slice and enjoy!

🧁 Chef’s Notes

  • For extra moisture, add ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt to the batter.
  • Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts or dark chocolate chips for texture.
  • Serve warm with a drizzle of honey butter—a true New Jersey comfort classic.

💬 Join the Conversation

Have a favorite banana bread recipe of your own?
Share your creations and baking stories with us!
Remember, Health Craft’s stainless-steel bakeware is your secret ingredient for even baking and heirloom-quality results.

CHECKOUT OUR STAINLESS LOAF PANS AND MIXING BOWLS - CLICK THE PHOTO


📚 NOTES & REFERENCES

1. Origin of Banana Bread (1930s Great Depression)
During the Great Depression, frugality became a national virtue. Overripe bananas, once discarded, found new purpose in home baking. Cookbooks such as the Pillsbury Balanced Recipes (1933) and Chiquita Banana’s Recipe Book (first edition 1947) popularized the idea of mashing overripe bananas into quick breads.
Reference:

  • Pillsbury Company, Pillsbury’s Balanced Recipes, 1933.

  • United Fruit Company, Chiquita Banana’s Recipe Book, 1947.

  • Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History – “Banana Bread: A Depression-Era Innovation.”

2. The Rise of Quick Breads in American Kitchens
The development of baking soda and baking powder in the mid-19th century revolutionized home baking. Unlike yeast breads, “quick breads” required no rising time, making them ideal for busy households during the 1930s and 1940s.
Reference:

  • Shapiro, Laura. Perfection Salad: Women and Cooking at the Turn of the Century. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1986.

  • Culinary Institute of America Archives – “The Evolution of Chemical Leaveners.”

3. Banana Availability in America
Bananas became widely available in the U.S. only in the early 20th century, thanks to refrigerated shipping by the United Fruit Company (now Chiquita). By the 1930s, they were a staple in most households, making banana bread both economical and accessible.
Reference:

  • Koeppel, Dan. Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World. Hudson Street Press, 2008.

  • National Geographic, “The Banana’s Journey to America,” 2016.

4. Streusel Topping – German Roots, New Jersey Spirit
“Streusel,” meaning “something scattered” in German, originated in Central Europe. Immigrants brought it to the East Coast, where it became a bakery staple in places like New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The crumb-topped coffee cakes found in Newark, Rahway, and Elizabeth bakeries in the 1940s inspired today’s modern streusel banana breads.
Reference:

  • Marks, Gil. Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.

  • Rahway Historical Society, “German Bakers of Union County, 1900–1950.”

5. Cooking in Stainless Steel – Health Craft Legacy
The tradition of waterless and greaseless cooking in stainless-steel cookware emerged in postwar America (1940s–1950s) with companies like West Bend and later Health Craft. Health Craft’s multi-ply stainless-steel bakeware represents an evolution of that technology—offering energy efficiency, non-reactivity, and even heat distribution.
Reference:

  • U.S. Patent No. 2,402,527, “Multi-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware,” filed by West Bend Co., 1946.

  • Health Craft Company Archives, Tampa, FL.

  • Knight, Charles. Cooking for a Longer Healthier Life. Health Craft Publications, 2010.

6. Nutritional Note
Ripe bananas are rich in potassium, magnesium, and natural sugars, providing quick energy and heart-healthy nutrients. Honey and sweetened condensed milk add natural sweetness without refined sugar overload.
Reference:

  • USDA FoodData Central – Banana, raw.

  • Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – “The Nutrition Source: Bananas.”

7. Cultural Connection – “New Jersey Style”
New Jersey’s diners and bakeries have long blended American, Italian, and German influences. The streusel-topped banana bread reflects that melting-pot heritage—comforting, hearty, and slightly indulgent, just like the crumb cakes that filled bakery cases along Rahway Avenue and the Jersey Shore in the 1950s.
Reference:

  • Witzel, Michael Karl. The American Diner. MBI Publishing, 1999.

  • Rahway Historical Society Oral History Project, “Breakfasts and Bakeries of Union County.”