This banana bread recipe is moist, tender, and packed with rich banana flavor. It’s a great way to use up ripe bananas for breakfast, snacks, or the freezer.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Sweet with brown sugar, cinnamon, and rich banana flavor, baking up soft and tender with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- Budget Tip: This recipe is perfect for using up those overripe bananas so they don’t go to waste.
- Time-Saving Tip: No time to bake and your bananas are turning brown? Unpeel and freeze 4 at a time in a Ziploc bag for easy baking later!
- Freezing: This banana loaf freezes beautifully. Wrap the whole loaf or wrap individual slices for a quick grab-and-go snack.
Banana Basics
- Bananas: Use very ripe bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best sweetness. If using frozen, squeeze out any extra liquid before mixing. How many bananas in a cup? There are about 3 medium bananas in a cup. So for this recipe, you will want about 4 medium ripe bananas.
- Flour: This recipe uses all-purpose flour as the base. You can replace up to ⅔ cup of it with whole wheat flour. Spoon and level the flour for a light, fluffy banana bread.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter in this recipe. If you have salted butter, skip the salt. You can replace some of the butter with oil for an extra moist crumb.
- Sugar: Sugar gives this banana bread its sweet flavor and soft texture, so don’t skip, swap, or reduce it.
Banana Bread Variations
One of the best parts about banana bread is once you’ve got the hang of it there are so many ways to customize it!
- Add nutmeg or swap pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
- To make it into a banana nut bread, add toasted nuts such as walnuts or pecans.
- Top the loaf with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Add mini chocolate chips, raisins, or shredded coconut.
How to Make Banana Bread
It’s easy to make the best banana bread with just a few simple steps!
- Whisk together dry ingredients (full recipe below).
- Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Combine.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Store Banana Bread
- For best results, keep moist banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freeze loaves or slices by tightly wrapping them in plastic wrap or storing them in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
- Warm slices quickly in the microwave or pop them in the toaster for a soft, cozy bite.
Ripe Banana Recipes
Did you enjoy this Banana Bread recipe? Leave us a rating and comment below!
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cups mashed bananas about 4 small bananas
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, or vegetable oil
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) a loaf pan.
- Mash the bananas with a fork to make 1 ⅓ cups mashed banana.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, add butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and mix well. Stir in mashed bananas.
- Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir just until combined, do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
To ripen bananas quickly: Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or until the peels turn black. Cool completely before using.
Be sure to measure the flour correctly by spooning it into a measuring cup, not scooping it with the measuring cup.
Do not overbake. Ovens can vary; be sure to check your bread at least 10 minutes early. Remove from the pan to cool completely.
Leftovers will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 days. It will also keep in the refrigerator, but wrap it tightly.
This is also great for freezing. Wrap and keep in freezer for 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 221 | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert
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Made this banana bread with not ripe bananas used the tip and baked then cooled you can cool in freezer worked 🤗wonderfuly I used a 9×5 took 60 minutes perfect love it thanks holly
Should i use dark or light brown sugar for this recipe?
You can use either in this recipe. Dark brown sugar will result in a richer, more moist, and slightly denser loaf, while light brown sugar will result in a milder flavor and slightly less moisture. I hope that helps!
My favorite banana bread recipe! Made it today on a rainy (flooding) day. Want to add pecans but am afraid it will dry out the bread. Has anyone added pecans successfully?
Other readers have made this recipe with pecans and had great results. I also love to sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the banana bread as well!
This recipe is perfection!!! Moist and delicious!! Smells divine and like a warm hug from grandma. My go to recipe!
This recipe is awesome! I’ve made it quite a few times and it comes out beautifully each time. Thank you for sharing it!
Best Banana bread recipe.Will make again.
FINALLY!!! A wonderful BASIC banana bread. No chips, no cream cheese or sour cream. This is absolutely delicious and easy, easy, easy!!!!!
This is everyone’s favorite banana bread!!
Thank you SO much!!
I have been making this banana bread for years now and it is my favorite recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it!
We loved it, delicious and moist.
This is my go to recipe for banana bread! My family loves it. My daughter asked if I can make muffins instead. Do you know what the temperature and bake time would be for that?
Thank you!
I bake my banana bread muffins at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
Made it today, super moist not too sweet. I added walnuts and chocolate chips. Delicious! Everyone loved it.
Definitely my go to. As with many other of your recipes. We love them ❤️
turned out amazing!
Made 3 mini loaves with this recipe! Baked for 40 minutes and was perfect!
Is there cooking temp/time changes if mini loaf pans are used?
Hi Cecilia, I have not tried making mini loaves with this recipe but other readers have and it has taken about 40 minutes to bake.
This is the most foolproof banana bread! I’ve made it nearly a dozen times and it’s always delicious. Wondering if the nutritional value per serving is available?
You’ll find the nutritional information per slice just beneath the recipe.
Thank you so much! Love this recipe!
I want to make this in 4 mini loaves. How would the cook time change?
Hi Kayla, I have not tried making mini loaves with this recipe but other readers have and it has taken about 40 minutes to bake.
Best tasting banana bread ever!
Mine turned out very crumbly. I baked for 50 minutes. I followed directions. Next time I will use less flour and maybe only one egg.
I am sorry to hear that, Liz. I have never had that issue with this recipe.