Banana Bread Recipe
This Banana Bread Recipe is the one that fills the entire house with the most incredible aroma. A deeply golden crust. A soft, moist and perfectly tender crumb. Rich banana flavor in every single bite.
Furthermore, this Banana Bread Recipe uses a simple one bowl method that comes together in just 10 minutes before baking. Moreover, it is the most forgiving and foolproof bake you can make at home.
Additionally, banana bread is one of the most universally loved baked goods in the world. For more wonderful breakfast and baking recipes, also explore our fluffy Pancakes Recipe, our golden Waffles Recipe and our full Breakfast collection.
The Secret to This Banana Bread Recipe
The secret to an extraordinary Banana Bread Recipe is very ripe bananas. The riper the banana the sweeter, more intensely flavored and more moisture rich the finished loaf. Furthermore, bananas with black spotted or fully black skins are at their absolute peak for baking. Consequently, they produce a far superior banana bread than yellow or barely ripe bananas.
How to Ripen Bananas Quickly
If your bananas are not ripe enough, there are two fast methods. Furthermore, you can place unpeeled bananas on a baking tray and bake at 150°C for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are black. Alternatively, peel and freeze them overnight. Moreover, frozen bananas thaw into an intensely sweet and perfectly soft mash that works beautifully in this Banana Bread Recipe.
The Key Ingredients in This Banana Bread Recipe
Every ingredient in this Banana Bread Recipe plays a specific role. Furthermore, understanding each one helps you make better decisions if substitutions are needed.
Fat — Butter vs Oil
This recipe uses melted butter for flavor and a small amount of neutral oil for moisture. Furthermore, butter provides a rich, warm flavor that complements the banana beautifully. On the other hand, oil keeps the crumb moist for longer. Consequently, using both gives the best of both worlds.
Sugar — Brown vs White
This Banana Bread Recipe uses brown sugar rather than white. Moreover, brown sugar contains molasses which adds a deeper, more caramel like sweetness. Additionally, it contributes to the moist texture and helps the crust develop a beautiful golden color.
The Spices
Cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg are the essential spices. Furthermore, they enhance the warm, sweet flavors of the ripe banana without overpowering them. Consequently, the finished loaf tastes more complex and interesting than plain banana bread.
Banana Bread Recipe — Avoiding Common Mistakes
Banana bread is forgiving but there are a few key mistakes that significantly affect the result. Furthermore, knowing these in advance makes the difference between a good loaf and a great one.
Do Not Overmix
Overmixing the batter develops gluten in the flour. Consequently, the finished loaf becomes tough, dense and rubbery rather than soft and tender. Mix only until no dry flour streaks remain. Moreover, a few lumps in the batter are completely fine and will bake out perfectly.
Do Not Overbake
Overbaking is the most common cause of dry banana bread. Furthermore, every oven runs slightly differently. Therefore, start testing from 55 minutes by inserting a skewer into the center.
The loaf is done when the skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs — not wet batter but not completely clean either. Additionally, if the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the remaining time.
How to Make This Banana Bread Recipe
Simple One Bowl Method
The process is simple and uses just one bowl. First, mash the bananas. Then whisk in the wet ingredients. Next, fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Finally, pour into the tin and bake. The full method is in the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Banana Bread
This Banana Bread Recipe is wonderful on its own. However, these simple serving ideas make it even more special:
Best Serving Ideas
- Warm slices spread generously with salted butter — furthermore, the butter melts into the warm crumb and creates one of the most comforting eating experiences imaginable
- Toasted slices with a drizzle of honey and a dollop of Greek yogurt for a satisfying breakfast
- Alongside our classic Scrambled Eggs Recipe — moreover, banana bread and eggs make a complete and deeply satisfying weekend breakfast spread
- With a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon — additionally, banana bread is one of the most universally loved accompaniments to a hot drink
- Sliced and served alongside our fluffy Pancakes Recipe for the ultimate breakfast feast
Easy Variations for This Banana Bread Recipe
Walnut Banana Bread — Add 100g of roughly chopped walnuts. Moreover, the nutty crunch contrasts beautifully with the soft moist crumb and adds wonderful texture to every slice.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread — Swirl 3 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter through the top of the batter before baking. Additionally, the peanut butter creates a gorgeous marbled pattern and a deeply nutty flavor.
Blueberry Banana Bread — Fold 150g of fresh blueberries into the batter. Consequently, the berries burst during baking and create pockets of jammy sweetness throughout the loaf.
Streusel Topped — Mix 40g flour, 40g brown sugar and 30g cold butter into coarse crumbs. Furthermore, sprinkle over the top of the batter before baking for a deliciously crunchy sweet topping.
Make This Banana Bread Recipe Today
In conclusion, this Banana Bread Recipe is the most comforting, most universally loved and most foolproof bake in the entire TastelyBites collection. Therefore, whether it is a lazy Sunday morning, a school bake sale or simply a way to use up overripe bananas, this recipe always delivers. Browse more of our delicious Breakfast recipes and share your results in the comments below!
Banana Bread Recipe
The moistest, softest and most perfectly sweet banana bread with a golden crust and a tender melt in the mouth crumb. Foolproof and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- The Wet Ingredients
- 3 largeVery ripe bananas, peeledBlack spotted or fully black skins are ideal — the riper the better for flavor and moisture
- 80 gUnsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 tbspNeutral oil (sunflower or vegetable)Keeps the crumb moist for longer than butter alone
- 150 gSoft brown sugar, packed
- 2 largeEggs, room temperature
- 1 tspPure vanilla extract
- 3 tbspWhole milk or buttermilkButtermilk produces a slightly more tender crumb and subtle tang
- The Dry Ingredients
- 200 gPlain flourSpoon into the measuring cup and level off — do not scoop directly
- 1 tspBaking sodaNot baking powder — baking soda reacts with the acidity of the ripe bananas
- ½ tspSalt
- 1 tspGround cinnamon
- ¼ tspGround nutmeg
Equipment
Method for This Banana Bread Recipe
- 1 Prepare the tin and oven: Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease a 900g loaf tin generously with butter. Line with baking parchment, leaving a small overhang on both long sides. This overhang acts as handles for lifting the finished loaf cleanly out of the tin. Furthermore, lining the tin prevents sticking and ensures a clean, even crust on all sides.
- 2 Mash the bananas: Peel the bananas and place in a large mixing bowl. Mash thoroughly with a fork until completely smooth with no large lumps remaining. A few small lumps are fine. Moreover, the more thoroughly you mash the bananas the more evenly the flavor distributes through the finished loaf. Consequently, every slice will taste equally intensely of banana.
- 3 Add the wet ingredients: Add the melted butter, oil, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk to the mashed bananas. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. The mixture will look glossy and uniform. Furthermore, make sure the melted butter has cooled slightly before adding the eggs. Very hot butter can partially cook the eggs and create an uneven texture in the finished batter.
- 4 Add the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg directly into the bowl. Switch to a spatula. Fold gently until just combined — stop as soon as no dry flour streaks remain. Do not overmix. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough and dense. Furthermore, a lumpy batter is perfectly fine and will produce a beautifully tender loaf.
- 5 Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake on the middle rack for 55 to 65 minutes. The bread is done when the top is deeply golden and cracked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Moreover, if the top is browning too quickly after 40 minutes, tent loosely with foil for the remaining baking time.
- 6 Cool and slice: Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting too early causes the crumb to compress and tear. Consequently, waiting produces clean, even slices with a perfect soft and moist texture throughout.
Nutrition (Per Slice — based on 10 slices per loaf)
* Nutritional values are estimates per slice based on 10 slices per loaf without any additions. Adding chocolate chips increases calories by approximately 35 kcal per slice. Adding walnuts increases fat by approximately 4g per slice.
Notes
- The riper the banana the better. Black spotted or fully black bananas produce the most intensely sweet and flavorful banana bread. Furthermore, they contain significantly more natural sugar than yellow bananas. Consequently, you may not even need the full amount of brown sugar if the bananas are extremely ripe.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added. Mix only until no dry streaks of flour remain. Furthermore, even 10 to 15 extra stirs beyond this point can toughen the crumb noticeably. A lumpy, roughly mixed batter always produces a more tender loaf than a smooth, overworked one.
- Baking times vary between ovens. Start testing at 55 minutes and check every 5 minutes thereafter. Moreover, the skewer test is the most reliable indicator of doneness. A few moist crumbs on the skewer is perfect — clean skewer means slightly overbaked.
- This Banana Bread Recipe makes one standard 900g loaf yielding 10 generous slices. To make two loaves, simply double all ingredients. Furthermore, both loaves can bake simultaneously on the same rack without affecting the result.
- Store at room temperature wrapped in cling film or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Moreover, banana bread actually improves on day 2 as the moisture distributes evenly through the loaf and the flavors deepen and intensify.
Tips for the Perfect Banana Bread Recipe Every Time
- Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs do not incorporate smoothly into the butter and banana mixture. Furthermore, cold eggs can cause the melted butter to seize and solidify into lumps. Take the eggs out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting for the smoothest batter.
- Sift the dry ingredients before folding them in. Sifting removes lumps and aerates the flour. Moreover, evenly distributed baking soda is essential for an even rise throughout the loaf. Unsifted lumps of baking soda can create bitter spots in the finished bread.
- Score the top of the loaf before baking. Use a sharp knife to make a shallow cut along the center of the top. Furthermore, this controls where the loaf cracks during baking. Consequently, it produces the beautiful and characteristic split top that is the signature of a perfectly baked banana bread loaf.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the loaf cleanly. Trying to tip a banana bread loaf directly from the tin often tears the sides. Moreover, the parchment handles allow you to lift the loaf straight up without disturbing the structure of the soft crumb beneath.
- Freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Slice the cooled loaf and wrap each slice in cling film. Furthermore, frozen slices can be toasted directly from frozen in a toaster or warm oven. Consequently, you always have freshly made banana bread available whenever you want it.