• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment then grease the parchment with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set the mixture aside.
• In a separate medium bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
• Lightly stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula just the batter looks thick and chunky. Add the berries and fold just until combined then scrape batter into the prepared loaf pan.
• Sprinkle the top of the batter with a generous amount of sanding sugar (optional) then bake the bread for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

Kelly's Notes:

• Extra-ripe bananas are the key to the most moist, flavorful banana bread. Don't be afraid to let bananas turn completely brown before using them for banana bread.
• If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make a quick version using whole milk and lemon juice or white vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, and then pour in the milk until it reaches the 1-cup mark. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then use 1/4 cup for this recipe and save the rest for another use.
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