Easy Banana Bread
I’ve been making this banana bread recipe for years and have no plans to stop. You’ll love the rich, buttery banana flavor and the incredibly moist crumb. Our recipe makes one banana loaf, but speaking from a place of experience here, it’s wise to scale it to make two. This banana bread does not last long, I’m always amazed at how quickly it disappears! I’m not the only one who thinks this banana bread is incredible. Our readers consistently call this their “forever banana bread,” with many saying it’s the most “amazing” and “fabulous” recipe they’ve tried. If you’re looking for more ways to use up ripe bananas, I highly recommend our banana muffins, or for a chocolatey twist on this recipe, try our chocolate chip banana bread. Key Ingredients Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. I’m talking brown and speckled. They’re sweeter and create a moist, flavorful loaf. This recipe calls for 2 large or 3 medium bananas. If you have underripe bananas, you can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag in a warm spot in your kitchen for a day or two. Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly. You can also use whole wheat or white whole wheat flour, but your loaf will be slightly denser. For a gluten-free option, many readers have had success with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Baking Soda: This is essential for a good rise and a beautiful golden-brown color. Butter: Melted butter gives banana bread a rich, buttery flavor that’s hard to beat. While you can use olive oil (like we do for our healthy banana bread), butter provides the best flavor for this recipe. Use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I like my banana bread when made with salted butter, which adds an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the batter. Brown Sugar: This is the key to a moist and flavorful loaf. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. Eggs: Eggs give us the necessary structure and stability. You’ll need two for this recipe. To make it egg-free, you can use two flax eggs or aquafaba. Salt, Vanilla, and Cinnamon: Don’t forget these! They bring all the flavors together and make the bread taste amazing. Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots. I’m talking brown and speckled. They’re sweeter and create a moist, flavorful loaf. This recipe calls for 2 large or 3 medium bananas. If you have underripe bananas, you can speed up the process by placing them in a brown paper bag in a warm spot in your kitchen for a day or two. Flour: All-purpose flour works perfectly. You can also use whole wheat or white whole wheat flour, but your loaf will be slightly denser. For a gluten-free option, many readers have had success with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Baking Soda: This is essential for a good rise and a beautiful golden-brown color. Butter: Melted butter gives banana bread a rich, buttery flavor that’s hard to beat. While you can use olive oil (like we do for our healthy banana bread), butter provides the best flavor for this recipe. Use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I like my banana bread when made with salted butter, which adds an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the batter. Brown Sugar: This is the key to a moist and flavorful loaf. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. Eggs: Eggs give us the necessary structure and stability. You’ll need two for this recipe. To make it egg-free, you can use two flax eggs or aquafaba. Salt, Vanilla, and Cinnamon: Don’t forget these! They bring all the flavors together and make the bread taste amazing. Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making Our Favorite Banana Bread Tip 1: Start with overripe bananas. For the most flavorful and moist banana bread, you need to start with the right bananas. The riper they are, the better! Look for bananas that are brown and speckled or even completely brown. This guarantees they’re sweet, soft, and easy to mash. Tip 2: No fancy equipment needed! Forget the stand mixer or electric beaters. You don’t need them for this simple recipe! If you can make banana pancakes or banana muffins, you can make this bread. The method is the same: mash the bananas with a fork, whisk the dry ingredients, whisk the wet ingredients, combine them all, and then bake the batter in a loaf pan. Tip 3: Pick the right pan. For a tall, beautiful loaf, use an 8 ½” x 4 ½” (1-pound) loaf pan. If you use a larger 9″ x 5″ pan, your banana bread won’t turn out as tall, and will need 5 to 10 minutes less time in the oven. Tip 4: Let it cool completely. I know it’s tempting, but you have to resist slicing into a fresh, warm loaf! Banana bread continues to set in the middle as it cools. If you’ve ever had a gummy middle, this is likely the reason. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, let it cool for 5 minutes, then unmold it and let the loaf cool completely before slicing. This tip also applies to other quick breads like zucchini bread or apple cinnamon bread. Easy Banana Bread Recipe PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr TOTAL 1 hr 15 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 1 hr TOTAL 1 hr 15 mins Say hello to my family’s favorite banana bread recipe. This loaf is so good that you’ll want to make two. For the most flavorful and moist bread, your bananas need to be ripe. It is even better if they are overripe, brown, and speckled. If you love chocolate, see our chocolate chip banana bread that uses this recipe as a base, then adds chocolate to make it extra delicious. Makes 1 loaf, 10 slices Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 medium bananas or 1 ½ cups mashed, very ripe bananas are best 8 tablespoons (115g) butter, melted and cooled 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar 2 large eggs at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup (60g) walnuts, toasted and chopped, optional Directions 1Preheat oven and prep pan: Position an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour an 8 ½” x 4 ½” (1-pound) loaf pan, or grease it and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. (See tips below for using a larger pan). 2Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside. 3Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas into a chunky paste. Then, whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until everything is well blended. 4Make the batter: Using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts. Stir until the flour disappears and the batter is smooth. If you’re adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. 5Bake the banana bread: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 6Cool completely: Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the bread and let it cool completely before slicing. 1Preheat oven and prep pan: Position an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour an 8 ½” x 4 ½” (1-pound) loaf pan, or grease it and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. (See tips below for using a larger pan). 2Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set this aside. 3Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas into a chunky paste. Then, whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until everything is well blended. 4Make the batter: Using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two parts. Stir until the flour disappears and the batter is smooth. If you’re adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now. 5Bake the banana bread: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 6Cool completely: Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the bread and let it cool completely before slicing. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Homemade banana bread lasts in an airtight container, on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze banana bread, double wrap it with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil, then freeze it for up to 6 months. Measuring your flour: Either weigh it or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the top with a flat edge. You can see me do this in our video! Room temperature eggs: To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, add the cold eggs to a bowl with lukewarm water for a few minutes. Drain and repeat. Best pan: I use an aluminized steel 1-pound loaf pan, which is 8 ½” x 4 ½” (from USA Pans). For glass loaf pans, consider decreasing the oven temperature by 25°F and baking a little longer. Stoneware pans may also need temperature/time adjustments, but it is hard to say without testing the specific pan. If using a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, the banana bread will not be as tall, and the baking time will be less by 5 to 10 minutes. Promote even baking: Before placing into the oven, set the loaf pan on an insulated baking sheet or two regular baking sheets stacked on each other to promote even baking. (A tip we picked up from Dori Greenspan). The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Homemade banana bread lasts in an airtight container, on the counter for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze banana bread, double wrap it with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil, then freeze it for up to 6 months. Measuring your flour: Either weigh it or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the top with a flat edge. You can see me do this in our video! Room temperature eggs: To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, add the cold eggs to a bowl with lukewarm water for a few minutes. Drain and repeat. Best pan: I use an aluminized steel 1-pound loaf pan, which is 8 ½” x 4 ½” (from USA Pans). For glass loaf pans, consider decreasing the oven temperature by 25°F and baking a little longer. Stoneware pans may also need temperature/time adjustments, but it is hard to say without testing the specific pan. If using a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, the banana bread will not be as tall, and the baking time will be less by 5 to 10 minutes. Promote even baking: Before placing into the oven, set the loaf pan on an insulated baking sheet or two regular baking sheets stacked on each other to promote even baking. (A tip we picked up from Dori Greenspan). The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 slice / Calories 254 / Total Fat 10.5g / Saturated Fat 6.1g / Cholesterol 61.6mg / Sodium 276.2mg / Carbohydrate 37.4g / Dietary Fiber 1.5g / Total Sugars 19g / Protein 3.7g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us