Classic Easy Banana Bread recipe is perfect for using up ripe bananas. But it’s also a versatile loaf recipe that can be used to make all kinds of moist, flavorful sweet loaves!
With a few ingredients and simple pantry staples you can have a delicious snack (or dessert!) any day of the week.
Classic banana bread recipe
If there is one thing that all three of my kids agree on it’s banana bread.
I have been making this same recipe for years. They all love how delicious it is and I love the simplicity and versatility.
I developed it specifically to use only one bowl, one measuring cup and one measuring spoon. It’s a classic from back in my ‘one armed mama’ days when I was always cooking with a babe on my hip.
Classic flavorful ingredients and a few simple steps and you can have a steaming loaf of delicious moist banana bread.
A great base recipe for sweet loaves
It’s always great to have a use for ripe bananas like Banana Pudding, Banana Chiffon Cake, Banana Fosters Egg Rolls and more. But if you’re looking for a great pumpkin loaf, chocolate chip loaf or lemon loaf you can feel free to use this recipe as a base for other sweet loaves!
Simply switch out the banana puree for equal parts pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, applesauce, yogurt or sour cream. Mix in chopped fruit, chocolate, blueberries, nuts, or citrus zest.
Customize it to fit what you have on hand and whatever you’re in the mood for.
Ingredients
- Ripe bananas – are a must for banana bread. Too green and you just won’t have the same sweetness or moist texture.
- Granulated sugar –
- Unsalted butter- at room temperature
- Large eggs
- Whole milk – or alternative milk
- All purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
Step by step instructions
- Once bananas are ripe mash in a small bowl with a fork. Three bananas should equal about 1 cup. If not, add more banana. Add cinnamon and milk and stir to combine.
- Cream butter and sugar then add eggs one by one.
- Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Then add to the creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture. Stir lightly just until there are no longer any streaks of flour. Mixing too much can result in dry banana bread instead of moist.
- Make banana bread with chocolate chips by folding in a cup of chocolate chips. Or make banana walnut bread by tossing in some chopped walnuts and adding a few down the middle of the banana bread loaf. Additionally you can choose to decorate the top with a few long slices of ripe banana if you have them.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- You’ll know when banana bread is done when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean, or when it is no longer jiggly when shaken. If you undercook banana bread it will sink and be soggy in the middle.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool before running a knife around the edge of the loaf pan and inverting to remove loaf.
- To serve cut into thick slices and serve warm with butter and honey or a scoop of ice cream. Even better toasted in the oven or in a hot skillet. You can even use banana bread to make smores, french toast or french toast casseroles!
- Enjoy!
How to store
Store cooled banana bread covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze slices in a single layer on a baking sheet then transfer to freezer bags or vacuum bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature to enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 3 whole ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and dust lightly with flour.
- Cream the sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. Add banana mixture to creamed mixture and stir until just combined.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (or add dry ingredients to the top of creamed banana mixture and stir dry together before mixing into wet ingredients). Mix until flour disappears.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Loosen edges with butter knife and invert to remove from bread pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Gino Coburn
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