Best Banana Bread Recipe is so easy to make and super soft and moist! The very best way to use up overripe bananas this bread is tender and packed full of flavor!
Since I have already shared with you my family’s favorite Chocolate Chip Banana Bread it was time to give you my very best classic recipe as well! If you love all things banana, then make up these Banana Nut Muffins too, one bowl, so easy, so GOOD!
What Is The Best Banana Bread Recipe?
To make the very best banana bread that comes out super moist, it is important to start out with those ugly, overripe bananas! In the picture below you can see the bananas that I used for this recipe post. These bananas are just ripe enough to work with. They need to be a dark yellow with lots of browning. You can use bananas that are even darker than this! The riper the bananas, the more moist your bread will be and the more banana flavor it will have!
How Do You Keep Banana Bread Moist?
The best way to keep banana bread moist for days is to wrap it tightly! Once your bread is baked and cooled, I recommend wrapping tightly in plastic wrap. Then, take a second step and store it in a large zip top freezer bag or a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Stored this way on the counter, your bread will last up to 3 days. If you’d like, you can store it wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
How to Make Banana Bread:
This recipe makes one loaf of banana bread. The first step is to preheat your oven and prepare a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- Next, take a large bowl as seen below and whisk together your dry ingredients. This will include the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl melt your butter in the microwave, then add in the bananas and mash until mostly smooth.
- Add your eggs and vanilla to your mashed banana mixer and use your fork to combine everything really well, until you no longer see any streaks of eggs.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula just until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Now, you are ready to pour your batter into your prepared pan and bake!
**NOTE: You can also mash your bananas with the melted butter in your stand mixer if preferred.
Can you Freeze Banana Bread?
Yes! If you’d like to freeze this then allow it to cool completely at room temperature on a plate or wire rack once it comes out of the oven. Once cool, wrap the bread in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil. Freeze the bread for up to 2 months for best results.
To thaw the bread, remove from the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature, covered on the counter. This will take about 24 hours.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter
- 3 Large Ripe Bananas
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter and set aside.
- Add the stick of butter to a large bowl and microwave for 1 minute, or until melted.
- Add the bananas to the same bowl and mash with a fork.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg to the bowl and use the same fork to mash and stir until no yellow streaks of egg remain.
- In a second large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula just until combined.
- Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
First time making banana bread. It was delicious! Will be making again this weekend 😄
This is my go to recipe!
Very yummy! I used everything from this recipe except I changed the all purpose flour to the bread flour I have, added a spoon more of butter, and I used four very ripe small bananas. I also out tinfoil on top of it at the 45 minute mark, and let it bake for 20 more minutes allowing the centre to cook more and a slightly crusted top!
I am NOT a baker, and I do not prefer to bake anything when I’m working in a kitchen. I’m not good at it and it’s often difficult for me to follow a structured recipe. This was the literal first time in my life that I made banana bread from scratch and it turned out PERFECT!!!! This recipe is delicious and EASY. Trust me, if I can feel like Betty Crocker after pulling these loaves out the oven ANYONE CAN!!! Definitely making this again soon 🙂
Ummm Yummm!!
I didn’t have vanilla so for flavor I did half white sugar and half brown sugar. I baked it in a cake pan and added browned butter frosting. My boys loved it too. Sooo good!
I never leave reviews but this banana bread is amazing. Very easy and simple ingredients. I’m in college so it’s nice to be able to use things that I usually have on hand. I only had self rising flour so I used it instead of all purpose; and left out the salt and baking soda. I also used 1 cup of light brown sugar instead of white. Added a handful of chocolate chips and walnuts and baked in a rectangular metal cake pan (more shallow than a loaf pan) and this cake came out incredible.
Great recipe
Easy to follow ,baking time Varys a little so you may need to add time and just keep checking
Tastes absolutely wonderful
I used small individual loaf-side pans. The loafs tasted very good, but the texture was very dense and looked like it was undercooked. Why do you think this happened?
Perhaps over mixed. I always fold in dry to wet ingredients. This cuts down on over mixing. I do the knife or toothpick test to check for doneness, not all ovens are the same. I add flour covered blueberries to the mix right before putting batter in pans. The flour keeps them suspended until cooked, otherwise they will all sink the the bottom.
Well I’m waiting for the oven to do it’s thing.
Then a big slice of your banana bread.
thank u for a simple recipe.
My favorite banana bread recipe. So simple yet flavorful. I’ve tried other recipes and nothing comes close to this one. I added pecans which made it taste even better. Only thing is that I had to cook an additional 30 minutes because the inside was still raw. Did not burn the top because I covered it in foil. Thanks for the recipe!
This was a great tasting bread. I want to keep this recipe, but I had a big problem. The loaf did not cook evenly in the center. I would pull out the bread thinking it was done, toothpick would be clean on one part than another part would still be wet. So I had to keep putting it back in the oven. I ended up kind of burning the loaf due to this. I am not sure why this happened, maybe I did not mix the batter enough. Any recommendations on getting this to cook evenly? I used a bread pan lined with tin foil (because my pan is a bit rusted).
I had the same problem. What worked for me was covering the top loosely with foil and cooking it longer. I kept adding more time to it and realized it was starting to darken too much up top without it being close to being done. Worked great for me.
You are correct. Best. Banana. Bread. Ever! Couldn’t even let it cool before the family was digging in.
Be Best Banana Bread!
This is a great adaptable recipe. I cut the sugar in half and added both walnuts and mini morsels (1/2 cup of each). Turned out great!
Made this several times now and love it! Super easy and quick way to avoid food waste. I add pecans and a few drops of De Silica to excetuate the flavor
Simple, great recipe and it gets many compliments when I bake this recipe!
tanks so much we like it so so so so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great recipe and super easy. Trying to figure out how many sliced in a loaf and calories per slice. Thanks!