This easy Banana Bread recipe is a no-fail favorite that comes out perfect every time!
With a handful of ingredients that you likely have on hand and only a few minutes of prep, you’re going to start buying extra bananas just for this recipe!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick This is so quick to prepare, you’ll probably have it ready to go before your oven even finishes preheating!
- Easy Ingredients The ingredients needed are things I always have on hand so I can make this at a moments notice.
- No-Fail This recipe turns out perfectly every time.
- Extra Moist The banana bread in this recipe is deliciously moist with a tender crumb, just as it should be.
Ingredients
Bananas You want your bananas to be ripe with many black spots, this means they’re soft and full of sugars. You can peel them and freeze them to bake with at a later date too.
To Ripen Bananas Quickly: Uhoh, you have beautiful yellow bananas, perfect for a smoothie or banana pudding but not so much for baking!
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- To ripen in 1-2 days: place them in a paper bag (with other ripe fruit if you have any) and seal.
- To ripen immediately, bake at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using in this recipe.
Eggs & Oil Eggs and oil add moisture to quick breads like zucchini bread and of course this recipe too.
In this recipe, we replace some of the oil with mayonnaise (which is made of… eggs and oil)! While this may seem like a weird ingredient, as you can see from the reviews, it is the perfect addition!
How to Make Banana Bread
Banana Bread with Mayonnaise? I know it may sound a little bit strange, but mayo is made with oil and eggs which are basically staple ingredients in any quick bread.
Be sure not to overmix or it’ll be dense and chewy instead of soft and moist.
- Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (per recipe below).
- Combine bananas (of course), mayonnaise and egg in a second bowl.
- Mix the two together just until moist (image below, your batter should be lumpy).
- Pour into a greased pan and bake.
I make a Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake which is to die for. If you have never had a bread or cake made with mayonnaise before, you MUST try it.
Tips for Success
Bananas add flavor and moisture to this loaf as does the mayonnaise. A few more favorite tips:
- The batter is thick, do not add extra liquid.
- Avoid adding extra bananas, this can make the bread too dense.
- As with all quick breads, do not overmix. Stir just until incorporated.
- Do not overcook. Ovens can vary so check your bread at least 10 minutes before the time is up.
- Seal well once cooled (a freezer bag works well too).
You can add in pecan or walnuts or chocolate chips to this banana bread recipe.
For easy removal, line the loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about 3 inches of paper folded over the top of the pan.
How to Store Banana Bread
Banana bread should last about 3 days tightly sealed on the counter.
To FREEZE: You can either freeze the loaf as a whole or slice it and freeze the slices. To defrost a slice just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds or even just add it to the lunch box frozen, it’ll defrost in plenty of time for lunch!
Options and Add-Ins
- Banana Nut Crunch Muffins – reader favorite
- Blueberries – Toss with a bit of flour before adding to the batter to keep evenly distributed
- Peacans, coconut, dried fruits
Easy Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium bananas mashed
- ½ cup mayonnaise or dressing
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F.
- In a bowl mix together mashed bananas, mayo and egg. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and pecans
- Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir just until combined. Note: The mixture will be very thick, do not over mix
- Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I have a question,….. Plan on making this today & am looking forward; but, I only have miracle whip on hand… Know there is a ‘flavor’ difference between mayo & miracle whip .. do you think miracle whip will work vs mayo? [ I realize the ingredients are pretty much the same, it is a taste difference] Thanks for any insite… have been cooking & baking for over 55 years & have yet to find my go to banana bread or zucchini bread… but have tried many good recipes over the years, but something seems lacking so I really want to give this ago, but success often falls in using the proper ingredients….. reason for question….
Miracle whip will work just fine in this recipe.
I added espresso chips and used protein yogurt. Delicious!
The BEST banana bread recipe that I’ve tried. I added thick slivers of Valrhona Noir Caraibe chocolate. It was delicious! No need to look further for a banana bread recipe. Next with blueberries.
Thank you for posting your recipe.
As someone who can’t cook, I have got to say this recipe is super easy, even for me! Love a good moist and soft banana bread and this is definitely a do again for me :) OBSESSED
This is the best banana bread recipe ever! It was so easy to make and it was so moist! I added a bit cinnamon and cut the sugar by 1/4 cup. It turned out to be just the perfect amount of sweetness for me. Thank you so much!!!
Hello!
I usually do not write reviews on recipes. Unless, of course, the end result is mouthwatering.
Being in my early 60s, I have made a lot of banana bread. My go-to recipe has always been Better Homes & Garden’s version.
I am here today to say no more BH&G for me! I made your recipe this morning, and let me tell you, I was blown away! This is the most moist, most flavorful, most divine banana bread I have ever had. And, it could not possibly have been easier to make!
Thank you a thousand times for this recipe! This will forever be my go-to banana bread. Absolutely wonderful!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much for the kind words Renee! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
I’m curious, why no vanilla extract?
Hi Donna, I have tried adding vanilla and I don’t find it necessary. Other readers have added it with success, but it will taste delicious either way. Let us know what you think!
Since using this recipe of banana bread, it is now my go-to choice, always. So moist and soo delicious. And the mayo…spot on.
So try it and I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Yum!Yum!
Just as good as everyone says – moist, great banana flavor and EASY to make! Thank you for sharing!
Very yummy and so easy! Just an FYI: had my timer set at 55mins and when I checked the bread at 6mins left, it was done. Also, I did mix 1 Tbs of brown sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and swirled into the batter and sprinkled some on top! Delish! Wish I could show pic!
The flavor of this banana bread is delicious. I do have a question though Holly, at about 50 min the loaves looked done but when I tested them the cake tested didn’t come back clean so I baked them a little longer – tested them about every 3-4 min. When the tester finally came back clean, the sides & bottom of the loaves were more done than I thought they would be. What did I do wrong? Thanks!
Are you using a dark or non-stick pan? They can cause baking to brown faster.
It was a darker non stick pan. What should I use?
I use a standard aluminum loaf pan. If you use a dark non stick pan, you can reduce to temperature to accommodate.
This is the very best banana bread I’ve ever made! Moist and delicious. I used walnuts because I didn’t have pecans. I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Would lite mayo work just as good?
Yes, light mayonnaise works in this recipe.
Hi there! Thanks so much for sharing. I made this with my sweet daughter who is 4 years old. We had so much fun making it and I never thought to add mayonnaise! So smart! Overall, such a good recipe and we will for sure make this for years to come. Thanks again!
Sending love from Annapolis, MD!
What is the temperature in the oven
This banana bread is baked at 350 F as found in step one. I hope this helps Maria!
Oh my! I have never cooked with mayonnaise before. And this is hands-down the best banana bread I have ever ever ever had. Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts for sure.
Great recipe!!! I added chopped apples and raisins. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Thanks for sharing it!
Made a different recipe, and it was so dry. Found this one that said it was moist, so I baked it. Baked 1 large loaf and 3 small ones. So moist!
I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon as well as 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Gave it just a bit of creaminess.
Love this recipe! Thank you!
Best banana bread recipe I’ve ever used! I always make muffins and they are perfectly moist every time! I wonder if i could use this batter recipe to make blueberry muffins instead of banana bread?
Don’t have a bread loaf pan, could I make in a Bundt cake pan instead? If so, how long and what temp?
I haven’t tried this in a bundt pan although I do think it’d work. You’ll want to bake just until a toothpick comes out clean.