Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth, then whisk in the eggs, brown sugar, and oil or butter. Add molasses and vanilla, stirring until creamy.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Carefully add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined.

If desired, fold in nuts and crystallized ginger.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, smoothing the top.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.

Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.