Banana Bread
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Say hello to your new favorite banana bread. This easy recipe bakes up with a tender crumb, rich flavor, and an irresistibly crisp crust. It’s a keeper.
On the hunt for the perfect banana bread recipe? Look no further—this is the one. Moist, fragrant, and just the right amount of sweet, it’s phenomenal fresh out of the oven and just as good toasted for breakfast the next day. My family loves it plain, but you can easily add nuts (I’m partial to walnuts) or chocolate chips if that’s your thing.
If you’re in the mood to mix it up, I’ve got plenty of options: marbled banana bread, chocolate banana bread, banana coconut bread, chai-spiced banana bread—and don’t forget banana nut muffins and banana chocolate chip muffins. After all, you can never have too many banana bread recipes!
“Best banana bread I’ve ever made! But it’s dangerous—I steal a slice each time I’m in the kitchen! Next up is Jenn’s pumpkin bread.”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour, baking soda & baking powder: These dry ingredients give the bread structure and lift. For best results with the flour, scoop it into your measuring cup with a spoon and level it off with a knife.
- Unsalted butter, sugar & large eggs: This trio brings richness, sweetness, and structure. The butter should be close to room temperature so that it’s soft enough to blend with the sugar. The eggs help bind everything together.
- Ripe bananas: Provide moisture, natural sweetness, and big banana flavor—the riper, the better. They should be dark yellow with lots of brown spots, or even fully brown. (Pro Tip: To ripen quickly, bake bananas in their peels at 250°F for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and blackened. Extra-ripe bananas freeze well too—just peel and store in a freezer bag until you’re ready to thaw and mash.)
- Lemon & vanilla extract: Lemon juice brightens things up and helps with lift, and vanilla adds a warm finishing note.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. It’s important to whisk thoroughly; this distributes the leaveners evenly, so the loaf rises uniformly.
Step 2: Cream butter and sugar. In the bowl of an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Creaming incorporates air into the batter, which helps the bread bake up light instead of dense.
Step 3: Beat in the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time and beat the mixture well after each addition.
Step 4: Add the bananas and flavorings. Mix in the mashed bananas, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. (Overmixing develops the gluten and can make the bread tough instead of tender.)
Step 6: Bake. Pour the batter from the mixing bowl into the prepared loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to get everything out of the bowl. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Cool and store. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Banana bread will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days; freeze for longer storage.
Video Tutorial
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Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2 to 3 large bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13-cm) metal loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that's okay.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I just made Jen’s Banana Bread for the first time and I LOVED it. I followed the recipe exactly as written. It’s easy to make, so moist, and not too sweet. I sliced it and wrapped individual pieces for the freezer. I pull out a piece whenever I’m in the mood and it tastes like I made it that day. I have a guest house that I rent out on Airbnb and welcome my guests with baked goods. This will be my new go-to welcome treat. So easy to have to have it ready to go in the freezer and they think I made it fresh for them.
The best banana bread recipe! Sometimes I throw in some chocolate chips. My kids love eating this as an afternoon snack.
My family loves banana bread and since I was going to see them (all grown!) and had bananas in the freezer I decided it was time for a treat!
The bread was great! I added abt 6 ozs of mini choc chips which is always a crowd pleaser.
I made this banana bread for my three grandchildren when they were coming to our house after school. My Daughter-In-Law is an amazing cook and baker and these kids are not your average kids to please! The banana bread was still a bit warm when I sliced it…… devoured! It’s the perfect amount of sweetness and the perfect texture. I did add a few chopped walnuts into the batter with a few semi sweet chocolate chips across the top. My eldest grandson (8) asked if would make it again as dessert after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
The flavor and texture are great with just the right amount of banana and sugar sensation. I always appreciate the detailed instructions/description in each recipe (for this one, “It will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay”) It helps me not second guess what I may have just done wrong. I have made this recipe twice and each bake came out with a soft center even though the cake tester came out clean at 40 min. The first time I had used bananas I had previously frozen and thought maybe the consistency of the banana mash affected the bake. The second time I used fresh ripe bananas and had the same result- 40 min bake with clean cake tester, soft center of bread after it had cooled. Next time I will give it the extra 5 minutes.
I have made banana bread for decades. My son loves when I make it for him. So let’s just say that I have been comfortable in my banana bread making abilities.
This recipe knocked me off of my self created throne. What a great recipe! It’s flavorful, it’s moist, it’s soooo good! Thanks for another great recipe, Jen!
This is a delicious classic banana bread recipe, moist and tender, exactly what I’m looking for in banana bread. My only addition is some cinnamon sugar over the top before it bakes, it adds a lot to the crust.
Banana bread searches always yield a recipe that someone says is “so good”. Well this one really is!
I have made it numerous times, customizing with whatever I feel like adding, and it always turns out great. MY favorite way is to add chopped pecans. Husband enjoys mini chocolate chips in the batter. I have doubled the recipe and it keeps well, because when I don’t, it vanishes too quickly.
Thanks for another delicious addition to my recipe collection.
This banana bread is the best ever. I have made it dozens and dozens of time. I’ve even divided the batter into three mini pans so I could share the wealth. Many friends have told me this is the best banana bread I’ve ever had. I agree!!!
Thank you Jennifer for sharing your recipes. It always brightens my day when I see an Email from you in my inbox.
Great Banana Bread….I added chocolate chips and oh my! Love it.