Give Banana Bread A Tart Upgrade With Leftover Cranberry Sauce

The holiday season is the perfect time to enjoy any number of autumnal staple dishes. From Thanksgiving dinner go-to's to cozy fall baked goods, it's time to whip out all of your classic seasonal recipes. One way to take your holiday leftovers to the next level is to serve them in new and innovative ways; for one seasonal classic in particular, you can easily transform it into a whole new dish with a simple addition.

Maybe you're the family member who's always going for another bite of cranberry sauce at the holiday dinner table, or perhaps cranberry sauce is your least favorite side at Thanksgiving. Either way, this hack for incorporating your cranberry sauce leftovers into an entirely new meal means that you're in for a real treat when leftovers time rolls around. One thing that makes cranberry sauce unique is its sweet-yet-tart nature, which meshes perfectly with savory flavors. By that same token, this unique side dish can revamp a baked good that may sometimes feel overly sweet: banana bread.

There are plenty of twists on banana bread out there, and most aim to cut through the excessively sticky sweetness of this classic baked good. Citrus is a great secret ingredient for banana bread because its tart acidity can balance the sweet banana flavor. The same goes for cranberry sauce, which many people already have on hand throughout the holiday season. People love banana bread not just because it's simple to make, but also because it's a great way to use up overripe bananas. Cranberry sauce-infused banana bread leans into this theme by using up something else you may have sitting around the house, and it requires almost no extra effort from your usual recipe.

Regardless of whether you prefer canned or homemade cranberry sauce, you can simply toss your leftovers into your banana bread to give it some flavor and depth. Add about ⅔ cup of cranberry sauce to your favorite banana bread recipe, and you'll have a loaf with a bit more bite and a lot more of that cozy holiday flavor. Additionally, if you wrap your banana bread in tinfoil or plastic, it can stay in the freezer for six months, so don't be afraid to whip up a little extra.