Best Banana Bread
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Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Are you on the hunt for the perfect banana bread recipe? Look no further—this is the one you’ve been searching for! Tender with a crisp crust, it’s absolutely phenomenal fresh out of the oven, and equally delicious when toasted up for breakfast the next day. You may be surprised to see an unusual ingredient in the recipe: lemon juice. It doesn’t give the bread a lemony flavor but rather enhances the banana flavor. Its acidity also interacts with the baking soda, helping the bread rise and giving it a golden color, toasty flavor, and light, fluffy texture.
My family loves this banana bread plain, but you can easily add nuts or chocolate chips to give it some extra oomph. If you’re looking for more variations, I’ve got you covered with an array of options, including marbled banana bread, chocolate banana bread, and chai-spiced banana bread. You can never have too many banana bread recipes!
Table of Contents
“Best banana bread ever! And I have tried a lot of different recipes. I think the secret is the lemon juice!”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the bread.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Act as leavening agents to help the banana bread rise and become fluffy.
- Butter: Adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the bread, and helps create a tender crumb.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and contributes to the golden-brown crust when baked.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add structure, and contribute to the bread’s rise and fluffiness.
- Mashed very ripe bananas: The star ingredient that provides moisture, sweetness, and distinct banana flavor to the bread. For a really moist, banana-forward bread, use very ripe bananas. The bananas should at least be dark yellow with plenty of brown spots, and it’s okay if the skin has turned completely brown. (See the FAQs below for tips on how to speed up ripening.)
- Lemon juice: Enhances the banana flavor and reacts with the baking soda to aid in leavening and browning.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the banana bread, adding depth and warmth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beat well after each addition.
Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re in a hurry to ripen bananas for baking, there are a couple of methods you can try:
24-Hour Method: Place the bananas (still attached at the stem) in a loosely sealed brown paper bag and let them sit on the counter. Check them after 24 hours to see if they’ve ripened to your liking.
Quick Oven Ripening: If you need ripe bananas even faster, you can use your oven. Place the bananas, still in their peels, on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any leakage. Bake them at a low temperature of 250°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until they develop a deep brown color. This method helps break down the starches in the bananas quickly, resulting in a softer texture and sweeter flavor.
Yes, banana bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil or freezer wrap, or place it in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. Crisp up individual slices in the toaster for a fresh-baked effect.
The bread should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. If properly stored, it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days. If you’re not planning to eat it within that time frame, freeze for longer storage.
Absolutely! If you have overripe bananas and you’re not ready to bake, don’t let them go to waste. I typically freeze them in bags of 2 or 3, as mashed, they typically yield about 1 cup, which is what most banana recipes call for. Simply peel the bananas, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the bag and then mash.
Banana Bread Video Tutorial
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Best Banana Bread
Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 large bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5-inch 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.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 208
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 394 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
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 have tried a few banana bread recipes, but this is by far the best. I cut back on the sugar because I added chocolate chips and walnuts, because my family likes it like that. It was fantastic. Highly recommend. Also recommend your pumpkin bread. So delicious!
Super moist Banana Bread recipe! I add about a 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts or chocolate chips for variety. Freezes really well. My family doesn’t wait too long for it to cool down, before they dig in. Thanks!
Have made this banana bread numerous times and it’s always great! I add mini chocolate chips for variety. It’s a keeper
Great Banana Bread recipe-comes out perfect every time!
I have made this recipe a few times. Very easy to make and tried variations including the addition of 1 c. of chopped walnuts and/or 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Love this Banana Bread recipe better than most! It comes out moist, flavorful yet light. I love how Jenn simplified this recipe so you can whip it up over the weekend without any fuss. I make it exactly as stated (unless I throw some pecans in if I have them).
My family’s favorite!
This banana bread is delicious! It is very dense and tasty. My family added some chocolate chips and it was a great addition, but I think it would still be amazing without it.
Really good banana bread! I wasn’t sure about the lemon but it works. The loaf was moist and had great flavor. I added about 3/4 cup chocolate chips because I had them. A nice addition but not necessary.
Have made this several times with plenty of added pecans or walnuts. turns out perfect.
This banana bread is a favorite. Easy and delicious. I’ll often add chocolate chips or roasted nuts for a change up, but it is wonderful as is.
This banana bread recipe is the best ever! Followed the directions with no changes and it came out perfect. My family loved it and has already requested that I make it again. It was moist and delicious and gone the same day so there was no chance of toasting it the next morning! This recipe will be on the favorites list. Thank you so much.
I tried this not to long ago, and I was impressed. Wonderful flavor and texture!
I make this banana bread almost weekly. I give half to mother in law and keep half for us. The bread is delicious and definitely a family favorite.
I have tried many banana bread recipes over the years and this is my go to one now. Whenever I make it for someone else, I am always asked if I can send the recipe. It has a perfect balance of flavors. This won’t last long at your house!
I love banana bread and look for new recipes all the time. I’ve used the same recipe passed to me using oil for the last 25 years and wanted to try one with butter. It was so flavourful and I knew your recipe would not disappoint. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and I am always so happy with the results. This banana bread is moist and won’t last long on your kitchen counter.
I only had one banana so I cut this recipe in half and made muffins. Half the recipe made just over 6 muffins. They were delicious right out of the oven.
Hi Jenn,
I love your banana bread recipe and use it often. I am thinking about making it for my daughter’s first birthday but am wanting to substitute apple sauce for some of the sugar since she’s never had sugar before. Do you think this would work? If so, how much applesauce should I use, and how much should I reduce the sugar? If not, do you have any other recommendations?
Hi Adrienne, I’d be concerned that the bread would be too sweet with applesauce and I’m not sure of a great alternative to the sugar – I’m sorry!
Love this recipe and have had great success with it, but this time the entire center is raw and won’t cook! Too much banana? I used 2.5 decent sized ones…
Hi JJ, sorry to hear you had a problem this time around! It sounds like you used the correct amount of banana. Considering you’ve made this successfully before, is there a chance you made a measuring error this time? Or did you use a different sized pan?
Absolutely delicious! Hands down the best banana bread I’ve ever made. Added mini chocolate chips just because that’s what my family enjoys but certainly not necessary.
This banana bread is so delicious! It’s light, moist and flavourful. I’ve never added lemon juice to banana bread before but I think it’s a game changer! My new go to recipe for banana bread! Thanks again Jenn!
I made your banana bread and used a bit of orange juice in place of the lemon juice, as I was out of lemons. Baked for 45 min and it turned out perfectly. Not too sweet but moist and flavourful. Next time I will experiment but this receipe is excellent as is.
Just made the Banana Bread, very good !
Hi Jenn. I haven’t made this recipe yet, but have a question about using frozen bananas. After they’re thawed, they tend to be quite liquidy. I always wonder if I should drain the liquid off and just add the solids or throw it all in the bowl. What do you think? Thanks for your help! You’re always my go-to gal for recipe advice!
Hi Alanna, I usually drain them if there’s a lot of liquid. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hello: I make this banana bread all the time and love your recipe. I am wondering if I can substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose?
Hi Deirdre, Glad you like this! I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Off the chain delicious. Moist, flavourful, and perfect! I added walnuts to the recipe and it was just awesome! Thank you for sharing!
I made this bread tonight and it is so good! I was nervous adding lemon juice at first but followed the recipe and my bread came out great!
Hi, can I use cake flour for this recipe?
I don’t recommend it, Velle. Sorry!
this is a wonderful recipe. everyone loved it. also made your pumpkin bread, so delicious
Love, love, love! I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and used brown sugar as a personal preference. Perfect! Thank you! God bless!
What a fantastic recipe, just love it and can’t stop making it and it always works . What a treat.
Our family loves this recipe! Whenever I make it, my 5 and 2-year-olds gobble it up. I’ve started adding lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice for an extra lemony flavor, and I cook for about 36-37 minutes instead of the 40-45 min. It’s super moist and a perfect way to use up our over ripe bananas!
Absolutely love this banana bread! So yummy. It’s also very forgiving if you add too many bananas…
I would like to try adding oatmeal to this – do you have any tips?
Hi Krysten, I’ve never put oatmeal in a quick bread, so I can’t say from experience, but I suspect it will work (though the bread will definitely be a bit drier and more dense). I’d replace the flour with an equivalent amount of oats (and I’d suggest keeping the oats to no more than 1/2 cup). Hope that helps — I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it this way!
Favorite banana bread recipe !!!
What temperature for the oven?
350°F/175°C. Hope you enjoy!
Just put 2 more loaves in the oven. This is a great basic banana bread recipe that comes out perfect every time. The only thing i do different is double the recipe and use half white and half brown sugar. I stop using the mixer when i add the flour and mix by hand to keep the air bubbles out. At the end i fold in a cup of chopped walnuts. Love your recipes and have tried so many. They all come out great. You make me look like i actually know what I’m doing. Thank you
Love this easy recipe. It is moist and tasty. I am not accurate with measuring so I’m surprised it turned out so good. I always add my own touch like raisins and or nuts or some other fruit. It all works out great. Thank you for this great easy recipes
Delicious banana bread that is moist and not too sweet. I added 3/4 cup of toasted walnuts and loved it so much that we ate the entire loaf in less than 2 days. We have loved all of the recipes that we made in your fabulous cookbook! Some of our favorites are Thai Chicken Soup with Rice Noodles, Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce, Baja Fish Tacos and French Apple Cake. Recently, our friends devoured the Peruvian Chicken meal with your suggested sides and thought it was so good that they ordered your cookbook that very night.
Jenn, thanks for providing such wonderful recipes that are easy to follow, can always be counted on to taste delicious and make us shine. Please publish another!
So glad you like the recipes, Catherine!! I actually am working on another cookbook – you can read more about it here. 💓
Hi Jenn, made this and it was the best banana bread I have ever made. Soft and light but still moist. Can I replace butter with canola oil and if so do I need to reduce portion ?
Thank you
So glad you liked it! Canola oil won’t work here, but a few readers have commented that they’ve successfully used coconut oil with good results. Hope that helps!
I haven’t made banana bread in years, but I found myself with a bunch of overripe bananas. I let them go for several more days, knowing the riper the better, and then tried to decide which of many recipes to use. Then I thought of this website since I’ve never been disappointed with a recipe from Jennifer. This one was no exception. The bread was moist and flavorful–my husband said the best banana bread he has ever eaten. I have enough bananas for another loaf and had planned to try a different recipe for comparison, but why fool around with perfection? The only change I made was to add 1/2 cup of chopped toasted walnuts as I like a little crunch in my banana bread. I cooked it in a convection oven at 325 degrees and ended up taking it out after about 33 minutes as it was nicely browned and a toothpick came out clean. Thanks once again, Jennifer!
I have been making this banana bread for a few years now it is an excellent recipe that’s works every time not too sweet lovely with a strong coffee at any time of the day ….thank you so much for sharing ….
Great recipe as always. Made as directed and added chocolate chips.
Delish!
With 3 kids, I’ve been doing so much cooking for the past couple of years that I’d lost the will to bake. Lol. Besides, my girls have morphed into much better bakers than me. But, now that the kids are older and I’ve developed the stamina to chop/slice/dice and cook for hours because I’m not out running errands every other minute due to the current health crisis, I decided to take two large bananas and turn them into bread.
I get frustrated with recipes that clearly were never made by the author, so I always know I can trust Jenn’s recipes. I know they will turn out, and if they don’t, then it’s user error. This bread was fantastic. It had just the right amount of sweetness and the bread itself was light. Sometimes banana bread can be very heavy but the recipe for this bread was just perfect.
Thanks for getting me baking again!
The perfect banana bread! Seriously is the best!!!
I made this – delicious! Best cake I’ve ever made and better than Starbucks’ banana bread (oops! Sorry Starbucks!). I used coconut sugar (4oz/1/2 cup) and 2 medium ripe bananas and it looks just like your picture. I was looking at it in the oven from 35 minutes and it was wet and shook in loaf pan when tapped; to solid and didn’t shake at 40 minutes. I took it out even though there was a moist area along a slight crack in the middle. I tested it with a skewer which was clean in outer regions. Glad I did as it was so moist and not overcooked and dry. Well impressed and will be trying the blueberry/lemon loaf next as I have a lemon tree with fruit. Thank you.
I have made this recipe twice now, the second time being a demand by the family as it was an absolute hit the first time! Finally a banana bread recipe which is fantastic! It is really important not to overmix the flour in the last stage, as this as made my banana bread a whole different thing. Oh, and yes, DO TOAST IT THE NEXT DAY. It tastes even better!! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
This has become the only banana bread recipe I use. I like to make it in 3 small (5-3/4″x3″) pans and it bakes for 28 minutes. Today I folded in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips right after adding the dry ingredients. It turned out really well! Thank you for this recipe (you had me at lemon).
I made this a couple of days ago. I’ve been making banana bread for decades, and usually use a baking mix like Bisquick or Jiffy. But I didn’t have either in the house, and with two very ripe bananas on the counter just begging to be used, I decided to make one from scratch. I used the basic recipe, but added some additional spices for extra flavor — cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla. I’ve been adding these to my banana breads for years and they always turn out very flavorful.
I didn’t use the lemon juice — couldn’t see the need for it. I assume it’s to keep the bananas from turning brown, but since they’re baked into the bread, what’s the point ? I also thought the lemon flavor might overwhelm the banana. I’ve never put lemon juice in any banana bread I’ve ever made, and there have been many, many over the years. Seems like a weird ingredient to me. The additional spices preclude the need for anything else to create flavor.
I also didn’t mix the wet and dry separately — I just threw everything into one bowl and mixed it up just until it was blended. That’s how I typically make this bread and have never had a problem with it coming out badly. I baked it at the recommended 350 for about 40 minutes or so. I tend not to time things either, I simply rely on rise and color. A clean toothpick stuck into various parts of the bread told me it was done. Came out great !!
Gee, no wonder you only gave this banana bread recipe four stars. You changed it so much by adding more spices, omitting the lemon juice, and dumping all the ingredients in at once, you
created an entirely different recipe! Sorry my fellow baker, that’s not fair to Jenn, or the rest of the testers.
I used your recipe yesterday and the loaf cane out great! Have you used this recipe for muffins? If so, how many did the mix make and for what temperature/length of baking? Thanks!
Hi Jana, Glad you liked this! The recipe would also work nicely for muffins. It should yield 12 muffins. I’d keep the oven temp the same and start checking them for doneness at about 18 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, when making banana bread I sometimes bookmark recipes I see, or tear out of a magazine. About two weeks ago I made banana bread from a magazine recipe. Yesterday, I wanted to make this bread again, but could not find the recipe. I googled “Easy Banana Bread” and I chose your recipe. The recipe I made two weeks prior called for brown sugar, nutmeg, etc. I preferred my previous recipe, because it was a stronger taste. Your recipe was fine, but I think I should have added the brown sugar and nutmeg to improve the taste.
I don’t know whether mine is good or not, but we love it, i reduced the amount of baking powder into half since the last time i baked it tastes a little bit bitter, and i add 1/2 cup choco chips in batter. In another muffin recipe i don’t have any sour cream or Greek yogurt, can i substitute it with just a plain yogurt and lemon juice? Please let me know, my bananas got ripened so fast, i am out of ideas how to use them
Hi Dwi, Glad you liked this! Without looking at the muffin recipe you’re referring to, it’s hard to say for sure, but you should be able to substitute the Greek yogurt it calls for with plain yogurt (and no need to add lemon juice). Hope that helps!
Hi can i ask for the measurements in grams please, does anyone know? Also do you use plain flour? This recipe looks amazing so i can’t wait to bake this with my six children!! Thank you 🙂
Hi Sarah, This recipe actually has conversions to grams. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. (And yes, plain flour is correct — it’s the same thing as all-purpose flour.) Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Is it possible to use lemon juice from the bottle instead of fresh lemons.
Thank you
Sure, Lin, you can get away with that. Enjoy!