Banana Bread
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
More Quick Bread Recipes You May Like
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.
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I just made this. It’s so yummy. I added a few more bananas and a tiny bit more flour.
Turned out excellent!!
Thanks for your recipe!
🙂
Gave it a whirl and it seemed to come out fine. I skewer tested it and everything and the skewer came out clean. While cooling on the rack though the top caved in and when I checked inside I found the inside was still not cooked. Not sure why the skewer test came out clean when it was still not fully cooked in the center but sadly there was no fixing it at that point.
Pretty much every other recipe I’ve looked at or used had at least 50 minutes, usually 55 minutes, for a cooking time at 350 degrees. I guess it doesn’t surprise me that this one did not cook after 45 in the oven as that cooking time just seems too low. For anyone trying this recipe I would definitely make doubly sure it’s done before you pull it out.
I am not usually a fan of banana bread but had some that were going in the trash if I didn’t use them, so happy I did. This is a simple recipe and I have to admit I was surprised at the lack of seasonings. I think I figured out why I don’t normally like banana bread. Most recipes have too much added seasonings that just take away from the simplicity of the banana. Thank you for another keeper!
This is everyone’s favorite banana bread recipe in my family. It is different from the stodgy, heavy, sugary banana bread recipes I’ve tried (and liked!) before. This recipe gives a really nice, not too heavy loaf, with a nice crumb and good moisture. The banana flavor and aroma are there but not overpowering, which was a favorite for our adult crowd. I could see it being successful even with a little less sugar. Nuts could be a great addition but I’d pass on chocolate because it might distract from the bread’s delicious flavor. Overall, this is a hit! My favorite part is the crispy crust—can’t get enough of it with coffee or tea!
This cake was very easy to make and I added a handful of hazelnuts to the mix . I adjusted the baking time so that the cake was in the oven a bit longer – 4 m ins or so.
The texture is lovely and moist and its a good sized loaf but I have to be honest it was not my best tasting banana bread as there just wasn’t enough banana – I used exactly what the recipe states I weighted it out – all blackened . It just tasted like a nice cake not banana bread . But toasting it did bring out the flavour a bit more . Question- could I increase the amount of banana – say a third large banana – without messing up the balance of the cake ? That would fix it .
Hi Louise, I wouldn’t add another banana as it would make the bread too moist. You could maybe add a little additional banana but would not add a whole one. Hope that helps!
Recipe was nice and simple to follow. My bread was not done in the middle, as my oven bakes uneven, so it appears darker but not a burnt flavor. I measured out the banana puree to 1 cup, but wished I had added extra. I added walnuts as well. Overall, very pleased!
Excellent recipe! Made double batch today and it is just about gone. Love the the subtle sweetness of it, other recipes usually turn out too sweet. Added some nuts to it too and didnt have vanilla, or lemon juice and it still turned out fabulous!
Perfect recipe! This is the second time I’ve made it because my family loves it so much!
This is the only banana bread I will make. It turns out perfectly every single time.Everyone who I take it to loves it!!
Another winner from Jenn! Take her word for it that this bread gets even better the next day and is out of this world toasted – yummy!