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:Â 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
AMAZING! Truly the best by far. No alterations needed!
VEGAN MODIFICATION:
substitute butter for oil of your choice (i choose vegetable, sunflower or safflower)
Substitute eggs for flax or chia eggs (1tbsp flax meal +2.5 tbsp water = 1 flax egg)
Optional: use 1 unbleached flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour
Super great results, my new favorite banana bread recipe! I love adding walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips and cacao nibs. Also I’ve tried reducing the sugar and adding finely cut up dates, which turns out well
My favorite butter to use for baking and cooking in general is Miyoko’s and it is vegan 🙂 it’s such a flavorful “butter” packed with coconut and sunflower oil and other ingredients~
Yep! This recipe is great! I used 4 very ripe bananas and walnuts and my bread was the bomb! Just 45 minutes bake time and keep wrapped afterwards to keep it moist!
100% agree this is THE Best Banana Bread recipe I’ve ever made! It started as one loaf as a gift for a neighbor, and now I’ve made 6 loafs in 5 days. I added in Butterscotch chips 1st time last week, then Butterscotch and Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips 2 days ago, and this morning used vegan butter (b/c I used all the regular I had on the other loafs), Butterscotch, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, AND White Chocolate Chips… BEST YET! If there is a banana bread competition, this would be hard to beat! So simple, yet soooo much flavor and density to each loaf.
Thank you for the recipe, Nichole!
Can you use self rising flour for this recipe
I made this about two weeks ago with chocolate chips, everyone loved it! I’m making another batch today with blueberries!
This is the only banana bread recipe that comes out perfect every time! Always moist and full of flavor!
Amazing banana bread recipe! It’s so delicious. I make it every couple of weeks!
I just whipped this up while my stuffed pork chops we’re baking and since this bread bakes at the same temperature as the chops, I was able to slid the bread in right when the chops came out. This bread came out wonderful! Despite the fact that I doubled the recipe but I forgot to double the sugar! No one even knew! Even my super picky 9 year old is inhaling it!!! I got 3 loaves from doubling the recipe. After panning the first 2 loaves I sprinkled a few crushed walnuts into the remaining batter & it came out perfectly with no alterations!
when I’ve only got 2 bananas, I throw in a few tablespoons of apple sauce.