This easy banana bread recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, takes less than 10 minutes of prep time, and comes out perfectly sweet and moist every time.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Soft, tender, and naturally sweet from ripe bananas with a little extra richness from a secret ingredient.
- Skill Level: Beginner-friendly; no mixer needed.
- Prep Note: Peel and freeze bananas in Ziploc bags when they’re ripe for baking. Drain off any liquid before using.
- Recommended Tools: This easy banana bread is baked in an 8×4-inch loaf pan.
- Serving Suggestion: Slice it warm and serve it with butter, or toast it for breakfast. Slices freeze beautifully for grab-and-go treats that kids will love.
Easy Banana Bread Ingredients
This easy to make banana loaf uses just 7 simple pantry ingredients.
- Bananas: For the sweetest loaf, use very ripe bananas. You’ll need about 1 cup of mashed bananas.
- Mayonnaise: Mayo is made of eggs and oil, making it an easy swap in baked goods, and you can’t taste the mayo, I promise! I use Hellman’s but any variety of mayonnaise will work just fine.
- Add-Ins: You can replace the pecans with walnuts or chocolate chips. Add cinnamon or nutmeg for a warming twist.
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly
Uh oh! You have beautiful yellow bananas, perfect for a smoothie or banana pudding, but not so perfect for baking…
- To ripen in 1-2 days: place them in a brown paper bag (with other ripe fruit if you have any) and seal.
- To ripen immediately: Place directly on the rack in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using.
How to Make Easy Banana Bread
- Mash the bananas and mix them with the egg and mayonnaise.
- Combine dry ingredients in a second mixing bowl.
- Mix the two just until moist, then pour into a greased pan and bake (full recipe below).
Storing, Freezing, and Leftovers
- Let the loaf cool all the way before storing it in an airtight container. It can stay on the counter for about 4 days, or you can refrigerate it to help it last longer.
- Freeze whole or in slices for up to 3 months; wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn.
- Warm a slice in the toaster or microwave until it is slightly heated for a warm, fresh-baked treat!
Cozy Banana Favorites
Did your family love this Banana Bread recipe? Leave a rating and comment below!
Equipment
- 8 x 4-inch Loaf Pan greased
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas about 1 cup mashed
- ½ cup mayonnaise or dressing
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Mash the bananas with a fork. In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, mayonnaise, and egg. In a separate large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pecans if using.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Note: The mixture will be very thick, but do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the pan, and place on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- To Ripen Bananas Quickly, warm them at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using.
- Avoid adding extra bananas; this can make the bread too dense. You should have about 1 cup of mashed bananas; if it’s a little bit over or under, it’s okay in this recipe.
- As with all quick breads, do not overmix. Stir just until incorporated. Batter should be lumpy.
- Check your bread at least 10 minutes before the baking time is up.
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving about 3 inches of paper folded over the top of the pan for easy removal.
- To Make Muffins, divide the batter evenly among 12 muffin wells and bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not overbake.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 231 | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 47IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack
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Wow, I was hesitant about the mayonnaise but all the reviews were good so I tried this and it was really good. Super moist and I like that it isn’t as dense as some other breads I have tried. This is going to be my go to banana bread!
Hey Holly and anyone – if I were to sub honey for the sugar, would that mess with the overall taste of the recipe.
Thanks
I haven’t tried it with honey. I think the flavor would be fine, I’m not sure if it would change the texture at all. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks Holly for the great recipe – I just made of them – adding chocolate chips and it came out so moist and yummy! Adding the mayo was a great idea!
Super moist. We loved it!
I assume that since it only calls for 1 1/2 cups of flour that an 8×4 loaf pan would be the appropriate size??
Yes, this is correct.
The BEST banana loaf recipe I’ve found in 45 years of looking!! Not a word of a lie, it is SO moist & flavourful!
This is Teleckies. I forgot to rate the recipe
Can I just use mayo if I don’t have an egg
We have only made this recipe as listed. If you do try mayo or an egg replacer please let us know how it turns out!
Holly, This banana bread was so moist and delicious. We really enjoyed it. I added 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and changed the nuts to 1/4 cup walnuts and 1/4 cup golden raisins. It was delicious, will be making this over and over. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for sharing. Best banana bread recipe I have ever made.T
So happy to hear that you love the banana bread recipe so much Teleckies! You’re very welcome!
Wow, such delicious banana bread- thanks for the easy recipe!! I made 4 mini loaves. Instead of nuts, I added chocolate chips to 2 loaves & swirled brown sugar/cinnamon mixture in the other two.
My first time baking anything that didn’t come out of a box and it was perfect! Super moist and not overly sweet. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe. Subscribing! :)
You’re very welcome Rhonda!
Just made this recipe this morning and love it! So quick and easy. Old recipe I have been using for 40 years is out and this one is replacing it. I added a 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips instead of nuts.
My mother would freeze over ripe bananas and would thaw them out when ready to use in her banana bread. Always turned out great. I just made this recipe with thawed frozen bananas and it was wonderful.
Excellent recipe.
It was easy to prepare and baked to time as indicated. When done it was of great texture, perfect moisture & flavorful.
When possible, this will be by future recipe. I love the difference that the mayo makes. The texture of the bread is perfect. I also replace the nuts with a handful of fresh blueberries and, wow, the best banana bread I have ever made. Truly a keeper.
I found your recipe today and had couple banana I needed to used up. I had everything the recipe called for. It’s just coming out the oven smells amazing. I can’t wait to bite into it. I know I’m going to love it.
Best banana bread ever !! I used sunflower seeds and added crystal sugar on top before baking ,it was amazing and so easy !!!! Definitely will make again
If I dont have a bread pan, could I do muffins? Would that change bake time? Thanks
Hi Cait, to make muffins divide over 12 muffin wells and bake 14-18 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.
This bread is so moist and delicious! And very easy to make. I suggest checking it at 50 minutes for doneness. I baked for 60 and it was a little over baked.
The recipe was easy and turned out perfect. It’s very moist, just as described. Will be pinning for a future “go to”.
Excellent!!! Mayo made me hesitate; BUT it made the bread Very moist… This was a hit!!!! Def will make again.
Mine didn’t come out right. Followed recipe exactly. Baked for the allotted time frame and some of the banana mixture didn’t cook all the way through. So I have spots here and there where the mixture didn’t bake with the bread. It’s still wet in those spots. I even baked an additional five min and no go. Not to waste bread, I’m pulling off the wet parts of my pieces.
In the past when this happens to me , I slice it and toast the underdone ones in the toaster. Super good!
Usually in the past when I’ve had wet spots, it was because the bananas weren’t mashed up completely and left lumps of wet spots. Now I make sure I mash my bananas completely, no lumps!
Amazingly easy recipe with a versatile approach as you can substitute sugar with any other sweetener which is kid friendly and it will taste as good as the original.
Really recommend this recipe for toddlers as a quick, healthy snack in between meals.
Let me say I was SUPER skeptical about adding mayo, I am not a fan. I tried really hard to taste it to after it was finish and you can’t, I was shook. This is the best recipe I’ve found for banana bread. I will definitely be making again.
So glad you love this recipe Perri!
I just made this banana bread this morning. Just cut into it and it’s super moist, flavorful and so easy to make. It was grandma approves (96 yrs young).