While the ingredients may seem odd, this banana bread recipe is a no-fail favorite that is perfectly moist every single time.

stacked slices of banana bread with cubes of butter

Holly’s Recipe Highlights For Banana Bread

  • Flavor: This bread is moist and lightly sweetened with lots of flavor.
  • Ingredient tip: This recipe has an odd ingredient which, as you can see from the reviews, works beautifully. Mayonnaise adds moisture, but don’t worry, you can’t taste it.
  • Recommended pan: This recipe is baked in an 8×4-inch loaf pan. If your pan is larger (9×5-inch) you’ll need to adjust the cooking time as the loaf will be thinner.
  • Bananas: You can peel and freeze bananas when they’re ripe for baking. Thaw them in the fridge or microwave and lightly drain any liquid.

Ingredient Tips for Banana Bread

  • Bananas: Use bananas that are very ripe with many black spots because they’ve got more sugars. If your bananas don’t have black spots, follow the tips below to ripen them in the oven quickly.
  • Mayonnaise: I replace some of the egg/oil with mayonnaise—which is made of… eggs and oil. You can’t taste the mayonnaise in this recipe and it makes for the best bread. You can use any variety of mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s) or dressing such as Miracle Whip. No butter is needed in this recipe.
  • Add-Ins: You can replace the pecans in this banana bread recipe with walnuts or chocolate chips.

How To Ripen Bananas Quickly

Uh oh! You have beautiful yellow bananas, perfect for a smoothie or banana pudding, but not so much 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: Bake at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Cool before using in this recipe.

How to Make Banana Bread

Banana Bread with Mayonnaise? I know it may sound a little strange, but it makes a moist banana bread recipe.

  1. Mash the bananas and mix them with egg and mayonnaise.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a second bowl (full recipe below).
  3. Mix the two just until moist, the batter should be lumpy.
  4. Pour into a greased pan and bake.

Holly’s Tips for Moist Banana Bread

  • The batter should be thick and a bit lumpy; do not add extra liquid or extra bananas. Extra bananas can make the bread too dense.
  • As with all quick breads, do not overmix. Use a spoon, not a mixer.
  • Do not overcook. Ovens can vary; check your bread at least 10 minutes before the cooking time is up.
  • For easy removal, line the loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about 3-inches of paper folded over the top of the pan.
A sliced loaf of banana bread made from an easy banana bread recipe

How to Store Banana Bread

Banana bread should last about 3 days, in an airtight container on the counter.

To FREEZE: You can freeze the loaf as a whole or slice it and freeze the slices. To thaw a slice, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds or add it to the lunch box while it’s still frozen, it’ll thaw in plenty of time for lunch.

More Easy Banana Bread Recipes To Try

Did your family love this Banana Bread recipe? Leave us a comment and a rating below!

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stacked slices of banana bread with cubes of butter
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Easy Banana Bread Recipe

This banana bread is one of the easiest recipes and turns out perfectly moist every time.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 3 medium bananas about 1 cup mashed
  • ½ cup mayonnaise or dressing
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Mash the bananas with a fork. In a medium bowl, mix together mashed bananas, mayo, and egg. In a separate large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pecans
  • Add the 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 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 bake 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.
Check your bread at least 10 minutes before the bake 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 over 12 muffin wells and bake for 14-18 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.
4.98 from 2697 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 231 | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
sliced loaf of banana bread and slices of banana bread with writing
stacked slices of banana bread with butter and writing
slice of banana bread topped with butter and writing
slices loaf of banana bread with writing

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Totally the best of all my banana bread, recipes… Including the one handed down in my family! This is the one that I go to every time!5 stars

  2. Easy to make and deliciously moist! I do use your site often as my “go to” for baking items and this banana bread did not disappoint!5 stars

  3. 1st time making banana bread. Soooo easy and even more delicious!!!
    Love love love I made mini loaves and gave for Christmas.
    Now I’m making more for me5 stars

  4. Ive never made banana bread before. But I made your recipe the other day. It was so moist and delicious, that I made another one the next day. And now I am making 10 loaves of it to give as Christmas gifts to family & friends. It is also very easy to put together. Thank you so much. This is the only recipe I’ll ever need for banana bread. Jennifer. 12/23/2024.5 stars

  5. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and substituted the sugar with Truvia cane sugar blend. And made muffins instead of bread. I was amazed at how moist the muffins were!!! Thank you!!!5 stars

  6. Absolutely amazing! Been using this recipe for years now. Always turns out great! Will always be my go to recipe for Banana Bread. Thank you so much!5 stars

  7. This recipe is amazing! I fix it all the time. I add dark chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts to the batter. After baking and cooling, I frost with either a chocolate glaze or cream cheese glaze, and then add a few walnuts to the top. Everyone says that this isn’t bread, it’s dessert!

    Thanks so much!5 stars

  8. This banana bread is amazing! Don’t think twice about making this recipe because of the mayo as you can’t taste it and it is what makes this recipe so moist. I baked mine for 50 minutes and it came out perfectly baked. I did check it from 40 minutes on. All ovens are different. This is my go-to banana bread recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! Keep them coming!5 stars

    1. I’m sorry it didn’t work for you Susan. An 8×4-inch pan is listed in the equipment section of the recipe. Per the recipe notes, I recommend: Check your bread at least 10 minutes before the bake time is up.
      Hope that helps for next time!

  9. This is the best recipe. I bake this at my local food bank with volunteers and I always tell them that no matter what order you put in the ingredients it will turn out perfect every time. Sometimes I add a splash of vanilla to the batter but it’s good either way. It’s so moist and it’s delightful with or without the chopped pecans. You cannot go wrong with this recipe. Thanks so much!5 stars

  10. best banana bread recipe ever. I never would have thought to use mayonase. sorry bad spelling. love your recipes