Barbara’s (Boss Babe) Banana Bread: A Taste of Home, Memory & Holiday Magic

There are certain smells that don’t just fill a room… they take you somewhere.

For me, the holidays always begin with one simple moment: pulling out my mom’s famous banana bread recipe — the one she made every year without fail.

This is my mom.

She was my best friend. Funny. Silly. Gorgeous. A fighter in every sense of the word. Twenty years ago, renal disease took her from us, but the holidays were her season, her love language. She made everything feel warm, intentional, and magical, even on the years when life was anything but easy.

And out of everything she ever cooked, baked, or whipped together… her banana bread was the thing everyone remembered.

A few years ago, we found her handwritten recipe. We made it on Thanksgiving, and the very first bite stopped me cold. Tears instantly filled my eyes. It was like stepping right back into her kitchen, the warmth, the laughter, the love that I miss so much. My brain didn’t just remember her; it felt her.

One taste, one smell, and suddenly time folds in on itself. I would give anything to sit with her again, to split a warm slice fresh from the oven, since I can’t, the next best thing, the thing that makes me feel closest to her, is sharing her banana bread with the people I love.

So every holiday season, I bake. Three loaves for my son (because of course he wants extras). A few for friends and family. And a few for our home… because some traditions deserve to stay alive.

If you stumbled onto this blog, I hope her recipe brings your home the same sweetness it gave ours. And if you’re one of our loved ones who received a loaf this year, now you know the heart behind it.

Her recipe is below. If you make it, please let me know. It’s not just banana bread, it’s legacy, love, and a little piece of my mom.

Barbara Hart’s Banana Bread (1 Loaf)

(Transcribed from her handwritten recipe card)

In a bowl, put:

• 3 level tablespoons shortening

• 1 cup mashed bananas

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Pour ¾ cup boiling water over these ingredients and let cool.

Then add:

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 beaten egg

• 1 1/2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup walnuts (optional)

Pour into a paper-lined loaf pan at 350°F for 45 minutes, in a pan of hot water. (this is the secret to it being soooo moist!)

After 45 minutes, remove the pan of water and continue baking for 15 minutes more, without the water.