This dense, sweet, cake-like banana bread recipe is super moist! It’s less sweet than a cake using ripe bananas and is one of the quickest breads to make for breakfast or tea!
Banana bread recipes are so easy to make (quick bread), and if you know How To Freeze Bananas, you can make banana bread any time! Since bananas are cheap, get extra to make Chocolate Banana Bread or these Banana Bread Muffins!
Banana Bread Recipe
I love moist banana bread recipes. This one reminds me of the cake-like banana bread loaves in the bakery section; it’s homemade and uses way better ingredients!
My sisters and family rave that this is the best banana bread recipe ever!
I’ve had this banana bread recipe in my collection for about a decade, and I decided it was time to update the photos.
The original version was a traditional banana nut bread recipe, but I omitted the cinnamon, walnuts, and chocolate chips. The plain and simple version is just as moist and delicious. However, I will include the original variation and more below.
Loaf-Type Sweet Breads
Like banana bread, sweet loaf breads are easy and fast to make. They usually take 10 minutes to prepare and around an hour to bake and cool. It is so nice to cut a few slices of banana bread to have with tea or coffee. Unlike cakes, banana bread is not iced or decorated.
Did you know Good Housekeeping Cookbook referred to banana bread as tea bread? That is because banana bread compliments coffee or tea.
Equipment:
For banana bread, you will need an 8x4 loaf pan lined with parchment paper (to catch any overflows) or a single 9×5 loaf pan.
- A standard 9x5 loaf pan
- Set of measuring spoons
- Measuring cups for dry ingredients
- 4-quart mixing bowl
- 1-quart mixing bowl to combine the dry ingredients
- Wire whisk or fork
- Rubber spatula and cooling rack
Ingredients for Banana Bread:
This is a batter-type sweet bread, very similar to a cake. So, you will not need fats like butter, lard, or shortening to make this quick bread. If you use those fats, you should cream the mixture.
- Fats-vegetable or liquid oils are easier to use in quick breads and don’t require creaming the mixture. I like to use avocado oil or sunflower oil. Fats also give a very moist crumb.
- Bananas must be ripe for banana bread. Bananas with brown spots will be sweeter and more ripe. Avoid using green bananas.
- Sweeteners- like granulated sugar and brown sugar, are used in this banana bread recipe.
- Eggs- strengthen and enrich quick breads, giving them flavor and texture. They are also a Leavener: the oven heat solidifies the protein in eggs, trapping steam and helping the bread rise.
- Flour- scoop and level the all-purpose flour when measuring.
- Leavening- baking soda is the only leavening used in this recipe.
- Liquid—The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide bubbles, which leaven the batter and result in a lighter and fluffier texture in banana bread.
- Flavorings- like vanilla extract and salt are used to enhance the flavor.
Note: See the variation section below for additional add-ins like dried fruit or nuts.
How To Make Banana Bread:
- Preheat the oven to a lower temperature of 325°F (162°C). Place a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease and flour the loaf pan.
- Measure the dry ingredients (flour, sugars, salt, and baking soda) into a 1-quart mixing bowl. When measuring, scoop and sweep off the excess with a knife.
- In a 4-quart mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a fork. Overripe bananas will be easier to mash. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla) and stir until the batter is thoroughly blended.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix by hand using a wire whisk. Quick breads mixed this way have the lightest crumb and texture, so mix until barely combined.
- Fill the prepared loaf pan with the batter, no more than two-thirds, to allow room for the bread to rise during baking. If using a smaller 8×4 loaf pan, line it with parchment paper so it doesn’t overflow.
- Bake Banana Bread for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The internal temperature should be 200-205°F.
- Remove banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, turn it onto a rack to cool completely.
- Banana bread will slice more easily when completely cool. It is even better after settling for 8 hours or overnight.
Greasing and Flouring Loaf Pans:
If you are not using parchment paper to make banana bread, grease and flour the bread pan by smearing a teaspoon of shortening around the sides and bottom; sprinkle two tablespoons of flour, and shake the pan to distribute the flour.
Storing Banana Bread
Allow banana bread to cool completely. When it is cool, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature. For longer storage, banana bread freezes very well; wrap it first in plastic wrap, then place it into a plastic bag or a secure wrapping in aluminum foil. Thaw completely before serving. Banana bread is best served at room temperature.
Variations:
Here are some of the most common variations in banana bread;
- Banana Nut: add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts like walnuts, brazil nuts, or pecans to the flour mixture. You could add 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon for extra flavor, but that’s optional.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter.
- Banana Raisin: add 1 cup of light or dark raisins.
- Whole Wheat Banana Bread: Substitute 2 cups of freshly milled soft white wheat for the 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
- Healthy Banana Bread: omit the sugars and add 3/4 cup of honey. Substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.
Ways To Serve Banana Bread:
Since quick breads are not iced or decorated, it’s nice to serve them with something soft and spreadable.
- Mix in different add-ins to make a heartier banana bread with more flavor and texture.
- Spread Banana bread slices with softened butter, whipped cream cheese, or applesauce.
- Drizzle honey over warm banana bread slices.
- Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Q&A
Can I Use a Muffin Tin For this Recipe To Make Banana Muffins?
Yes! Use a standard-sized muffin tin and 12 paper liners to convert this recipe into muffins. Fill the batter two-thirds of the way so they don’t overflow.
My Bananas are Green. How Do I Ripen Bananas Quickly?
The quickest way to ripen bananas is to place them in a brown paper bag, preferably in a cool, dark place. If you have another ethylene-producing fruit, like an apple, place it inside the paper bag with the bananas to trap ethylene gas and accelerate the ripening process. This takes 1-2 days.
Tips for the Best Banana Bread Recipe:
- If you don’t have time to make banana bread, freeze overripe bananas unpeeled in a freezer bag. That way, bananas don’t go to waste. Bananas mash very easily when thawed from the freezer.
- Banana bread is best mixed by hand until combined to make a light crumb. Mixing it with a stand mixer takes seconds, so stand over the mixer to avoid overbeating. Overbeating produces a compact loaf that doesn’t rise as high.
- The dry ingredients should be mixed well and stirred with a fork or whisk to blend, aerate, and lighten the dry mixture.
- Keep the mixing step of the dry and wet ingredients to a minimum until just blended. Briefly mixing the batter results in a tender and moist crumb. You want the ingredients to be combined but with no residue of flour. Tiny lumps of bananas are okay.
- Don’t overfill the loaf pan; it will overflow during baking, making the edges too brown and the center underdone. It’s better to have a larger loaf pan than one that is too small. Always allow extra room for the bread to rise.
- If you only have the smaller loaf pan, bake the extra batter in a muffin tin or line parchment paper into the loaf pan with the edges standing up so that it won’t spill out of the sides.
- Bake banana bread on the center rack of the oven for even baking.
- It is normal for the top of the banana bread to crack. The leavening and eggs trap steam and help the bread to rise.
- If baking in a greased and floured loaf pan, allow the bread to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then run a knife around the edges of the pan to gently invert so that it doesn’t break.
- When baking multiple loaf pans at once, don’t let the pans touch each other; there needs to be room for heat to circulate.
More Sweet Breads To Make At Home:
Easy and quick breads to make at home!
Moist Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 very ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper or grease, then flour it and set aside.- In a 1-quart mixing bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together (flour, sugars, salt, and baking soda).
- In another 4-quart mixing bowl, mash the bananas using a wire masher or fork. Add the remaining wet ingredients (eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract). Mix well.
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk until there is no flour residue. Don't overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, leaving room for the bread to rise (fill about two-thirds full).
- Bake at 325°F (162°C) for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For the best flavor, wait until the bananas are completely ripe and spotted.
- Banana Nut: Add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts like walnuts, Brazil nuts, or pecans to the flour mixture. You could add 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon for extra flavor, but that's optional.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter.
- Banana Raisin: add 1 cup of light or dark raisins.
- Whole Wheat Banana Bread: Substitute 2 cups of freshly milled soft white wheat for the 1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.
- Healthy Banana Bread: omit the sugars and add 3/4 cup of honey. Substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour.
- Fill the loaf pan with batter about two-thirds of the way full. Allow extra room for the sweet bread to rise.
- A smaller 8x4 loaf pan will take longer to bake for the center to be done. Banana bread is done when the internal temperature of the bread reaches 200-205°F.
- Bake banana bread on the center rack of the oven for even baking.
- It is normal for the top of the banana bread to crack. The leavening and eggs trap steam and help the bread to rise.
- When baking multiple loaf pans at once, don't let the pans touch each other; there needs to be room for heat to circulate.
- If you are not using parchment paper to make banana bread, grease and flour the bread pan by smearing a teaspoon of shortening around the sides and bottom; sprinkle two tablespoons of flour, and shake the pan to distribute the flour.
- If you use very ripe bananas, your banana bread will be darker brown in color.
Nutrition per serving
