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 (½ 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
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ 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.
Perfect AS IS! I like to add things to a recipe but if you want the perfect banana bread, no additions, this is it. We live at 8500 feet and I made no high altitude adjustments. Easy and awesome!
*Looking for help* I LOVE this recipe and have made it more times than I can count. It is easily the best banana bread recipe I've ever made. This time, however, I substituted Earth Balance unsalted vegan "butter" instead of dairy butter and monk fruit+erythritol instead of sugar. I used a 1:1 ratio. But this time, it took about 65-70 minutes to bake all the way and the crust of the bread was very dark, a couple of parts burned. Does anyone know what caused this? Both Earth Balance and the monk fruit "sugar" claim to be 1:1 replacements.
(1) only have two 'dead' bananas... go forward with the recipe anyway? Also, what size bread pan do you use? thanks so much for sharing
Nichole,
I LOVE this recipe! It’s is a family favorite and my son loves to help out in making it! THANK YOU!!
Quick question for you Nichole, what if we wanted to use an ALMOND FLOUR? Could you please give recipe instructions considering that revision?
Many thanks!
I’m hoping for an almond flour or GF baking flour alternative as well! I just had to transition to GF and I don’t want to lose this recipe! I’ve been using this recipe for over a year now and it’s always a fan favorite.
I've been trying many banana bread recipes lately and this one tops them all, even QEII's! Thanks for sharing.
I normally try a recipe just as written but this time I was trying to recreate a co-worker’ s recipe. I omitted the vanilla and cinnamon and added 1T rum extract. I also added rough chopped pecans. A new family favorite!
Love this recipe! Reduced sugar a bit, and added 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips, and 1/3 cup chopped walnuts. Sprinkled walnuts on top before baking. So delicious. Just wondering how many slices you cut your loaf into so I can calculate macros since I used muffin tin instead of bread tin. Thanks ❤️
This recipe was full of favor, this made all of the other recipes look diminished. I really did not have to put any effort into this to actually make it good, it just naturally prospered. Definitely Recommend.
Every time I have made this recipe, I followed it exactly and have never been disappointed!!! Thank you ?
Awesome recipe!!! Does anyone the macros to this bread though??
I love this recipe!! The only issue I have is the time! I have to bake it for way more than the listed time to make sure the middle bakes, and then my top will look darker than it should. I have to bake it for about an hour and 20 minutes. It tastes amazing though! Any ideas as to what the issue may be?
I usually have to bake it for longer to. This can happen when batter is very wet. When measuring banana's the recipe calls for three but bananas are different sizes and that can lead to more moisture. When this happens I will cover the bread after the desired color for the rest of the baking time.
Same thing here !!!
Same thing happened to me because I assumed the recipe uses a standard 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" loaf pan and realized after the fact that the notes at the very bottom indicate it is for a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Because I used a standard 8 1/2 x 4 1/2, mine overflowed a bit onto the bottom of my oven, and I had to tent the loaf with foil so it didn't over brown while I continued baking it for another 15 or 20 mins. It turned out great, but it would have been nice to have the note about the pan size in the beginning rather than at the very end of the recipe. My bad for not reading to the end, but still -- would have been more noticeable at the top. 🙂
My go to recipe , + .25 c sour cream , .5c brown sugar /.5c pure granulated . + Toasted 1c walnuts
Delicious all around!! Fantastic recipe! I added Walnuts for a crunchy outside and it was outstanding!
Everyone I shared this LOVED IT!!! I added walnuts and raisins making more.
Girl you should sell some it's that good
My hubby and I really enjoyed this recipe. It was nice and simple to follow. Hubby isn't a baker but he followed the directions easily. We added a 1/2 tsp of baking powder by accident but it still turned out delicious. We also added 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips and I'm sure it would have tasted just as good without them. We will be using this recipe when we have leftover bananas to use up.
This banana bread is AMAZING!! It tasted the same way my grandmother used to make it. Fond memories. So happy I found this recipe, which will be passed down to my kids to share with the next generation. Thank you for sharing!!!:)
I’m not a good baker so
I was very pleased when it turned out
So good. Husband can finally enjoy something I have baked!
This is my go to recipe! So good!
If you're going to microwave butter to melt it, you might as well brown it on the stove top. and I also did half brown sugar and half white sugar. yum!
Made this recipe into mini loafs. Gave it an extra glug of vanilla and doubled up the cinnamon for my tastes. As well as a big scoop of semi-sweet chocolate chips! 30 min. @350 in my oven, but I like banana bread slightly undercooked.
I also used a hand mixer for everything up until mixing the dry into the wet. Saves time but use a spatula for that step!
Best I’ve made in quite a while. This is my new base recipe for banana bread!
How much did you fill the mini loafs? 2/3? 3/4? thanks. and you said 30 min @ 350 was undercooked? Pls explain. thanks
I split the recipe evenly among 6 portions. Not sure how full that was.
When I stuck it with a toothpick it was mostly clean, but had a few spots of batter that stuck. A bit undercooked.