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.
Love this recipe! I make muffins instead of bread – then you have no problems with the middle not getting cooked. Thanks for an easy recipe that everybody loves!
Use this recipe all the time! It’s my son’s favorite!!!! I add a couple of my own twist for flavors
I was skeptical but NOW i’m a believer. This recipe was simple and the final product nothing short of FANTASTIC. Baked in 2 8×3 buttered/floured aluminum pans for gifting and was greeted the next day with “When do you open your bakery”. I reside in Costa Rica and can assure you the fresh local bananas, amazing butter and sugar played a huge part in the flavor/texture of this quickly devoured banana bread. I did add a sugar/cinnamon sprinkle to the top of the loaves half way thru the baking process for a nice little crunch.
Since I doubled the recipe and had only 5 bananas I added some fresh pineapple I put in a processor. Maybe half a cup or less. Used pecans in recipe and it’s lip smacking good.
Banana bread made easy. I love making this recipe. Turns out delicious moist and really taste good after it has cooled then ya add lake o lake salted butter to it and reheat it just enough to melt the butter. Taste so good with a hot cup of coffee.
I’m new to baking, and this is the third banana bread recipe I’ve tried and it’s definitely the best out there!! My only issue and i know it’s something I’m doing wrong, is that I leave it in the oven for the max 55 mins, and the center is still very gooey. It will take well over an hour to fully cook, but then the outside is burnt. What am I doing wrong?! Thank you!!!
Love this recipe. It’s delicious fresh from the oven and just as delicious toasted two days later. This is the only recipe I will use from now on, since it got rave reviews from my husband, too.
That probably has something to do with the pan you’re using, deeper pans will take longer to cook. I also learned this the hard way. I put it in for 45 minutes at 350 like the instructions say, I take it out & it’s still gooey but the outside is a nice crisp shell.. I turned the heat down to 330 and popped it back in for an additional 15 minutes and it turned out perfectly!
Absolutely delicious recipe!
Hi Chelsey,
Fellow baker here, what rack of the oven are you placing the banana bread? It should be in the middle rack for best cook throughout.
Also what sort of pan do you use? Is it a thick glass Pyrex baking dish or a thin metal one? If using a thin metal one, perhaps double the pans for a thicker cooking vessel.
It could also be that your oven isn’t cooking at the set temperature as all ovens can run a bit hotter/colder than set. Some timing experimentation may be needed.
Hope these tips help!
We ran into the same problem so we just put some foil (loosely)over the top of the loaf for the last 15-20 minutes. Turned out wonderful!
The same thing happened to me. I kept an eye on the loaf, and when it reached a light, golden color I lightly covered with foil and continued baking an additional 25 minutes. Turned out perfect. Make sure your loaf is on a bottom oven rack.
Like Chelsey, i also just experienced a very long bake time, with a slightly gooey center. Timer set for 45 but it needed more time and I was checking it every five minutes for another twenty minutes at least. It took 65 minutes (I think? Possibly 70). My oven tends to need the full time whenever a range is listed. I used a glass loaf pan and four (not large) bananas; was running low on granulated sugar so subbed 1/2 c brown sugar. The loaf ended up with a nice rise while still dense in the middle. It is moist and flavorful.
try putting tin foil over it towards the end of the suggested baking time! i was having the same issue with banana bread recipes and it helped a lot 🙂
They say every oven temperature is different….try lowering the temp to 335-340 and see if that helps
It could be your elevation. I live at 4,800 feet and have had similar issues until I started adjusting for it. Look up high altitude baking adjustments and there are many different things you can do. Good luck!
If you are having to leave it in the oven a little longer, causing the outside to burn, you can put tin foil over it after it has browned to your liking! The tin foil will slow the browning process on the outside while still continuing to cook the inside!
2 things you could do…
1. Your oven may be cooler than what it says it is. Try upping the temperature 25 degrees to 375.
2. Or, try using a larger loaf pan so the batter is more spread out and the center bakes more properly
Either way, check diligently with your toothpick!
I always turn my pan(s) halfway through so they bake evenly. Get an oven thermometer and see what temperature your oven is actually heating up to. Most ovens need to be calibrated and can be off one way or the other by 10-20 degrees even. If it’s off, adjust your temperature accordingly.
Try lowering the oven temperature a couple of degrees for the longer baking time.
I haven’t made this yet, but this happens to me with other bakes so I put foil over the top towards the end to stop it burning, then take it off for the last 5 mins. I’m not a pro but may be worth a try?
Hi! Sounds like oven temp may not be correct? New to baking also… don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s your fault. Might be your oven or loaf pan?
Cover it with tin foil when the top is how you like it then you can leave it in longer.
Best banana bread I’ve ever eaten or made in my life!
Absolutely THE BEST banana bread recipe out there! My family can’t get enough! I have to make it every week! We buy bananas just to watch them brown and be ready to be made into this loaf of deliciousness. Thank you for sharing!
Great recipe! Simple and easy! I was out of unsalted butter and use salted butter instead, turned out fine. It’s is nice and soft and keeps well. Highly recommended!!!
Followed directions as given, but added about 3/4 cup of golden raisins, at my son’s request. Aroma and taste are wonderful. It did take about 75 minutes to bake completely as the center was still raw after 55 minutes. (I’ve had the same issue with other banana bread recipes.)
May I suggest a slightly bigger pan
I made muffins with this recipe and also
A round cake pan. All came out well.
3rd time making this delicious banana bread!! And it’s a hit with nieces who requested it again today!! Thank you for the great recipe!!