My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe
Make good use of the ripe bananas in your pantry with this best banana bread recipe. Make delicious and moist bread at home with flavor in each bite.
One can never go wrong with banana bread. It’s not only a breakfast delicacy but is a perfect dessert or snack. I love this recipe because you only need one big bowl to mix the batter. There is no need for a fancy mixer or a blender. A mixing bowl, a whisk, and a fork is all you need.
This is my go-to recipe whenever I see leftover bananas in the kitchen, and it’s always in my fridge, as I like to make a big batch over the weekends.
I have tried dozens of bread recipes over the years, such as the likes of Gluten-free Rye Bread, Rosemary Parmesan Bread, and Acorn Squash Bread. However, this banana bread remains one of the top choices, not only for me but for my family as well. It’s so smooth, and delicious that it melts in your mouth and each bite is decadent.
💜 Why You Will Love This Banana Bread Recipe
- It is not overly sweet, with the right amount of sugar
- Soft and dense bread with a spongy texture
- A simple recipe for beginners
- Can be frozen and tastes equally well
- No nuts or any dried fruit, excellent plain bread
- A lot of banana flavors that you will absolutely fall in love with
Key Ingredients You Need For the Recipe
This banana bread recipe is super adaptable when it comes to additions like nuts and chocolate chips. Here are some key ingredients that you need to prepare this bread:
- Ripe Bananas
- Butter
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Brown Sugar: It works magically well with the banana flavor of the bread.
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
I am keeping the bread simple by not adding any nuts or chocolate, but feel free to add them as you like. For banana nut bread, you can add 3/4 cup of chopped nuts to the batter. I like to add walnuts or pecans as they go great with bananas.
If you are not a nut person, you can add chocolate chips as it tastes so great with the banana-flavored bread. You can add dark chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips, whatever you like the most. However, dark chocolate chips are a great combination with the banana flavor.
How to Mash Bananas for the Recipe
For this recipe, you don’t need an electric mixer to mash the bananas. Just break of slice the bananas in a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork.
If you do own an electric mixer, you can use it to mash bananas. Just slice the bananas and place it in the bowl. Use your stand mixer to mash the chopped bananas, starting on low, and then gradually increasing the speed.
For those who are thinking, ‘Can I use frozen bananas?’ Yes, you can absolutely use frozen bananas, as I have often used them myself for this recipe.
However, if you are using frozen bananas, make sure to drain the excess liquid and then mash them. Try not to mash them too much as they will turn too liquid. We love chunks of banana in the bread.
How Can You Freeze Banana Bread
As I said before, you can freeze the banana bread and enjoy it later with a cup of tea. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are freezing the banana bread:
- Cool the banana bread completely.
- Wrap the bread loaf of slices in 2-3 layers of aluminum foil or cling film. I like to wrap 2-3 slices together instead of the entire loaf as it’s best when you have to take it out later.
- Place the wrapped bread in a freezer-friendly bag or an air-tight container.
- Make sure to date the bag, as you can store the banana bread for up to 3-4 months.
When you take it out of the freezer, make sure to thaw unwrapped or wrapped in the fridge. And it works like a charm!
What Goes Best With Banana Bread
Banana bread has a special place in my heart, and this sweet treat does not need anything more. However, to make this classic bread more delightful, there are a number of side dishes that go great with banana bread.
Here are some of my top side dishes that you can try with banana bread:
- Banana Cream Custard. If you are a fan of Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding, you must try banana bread with banana cream custard to turn it into a mouthwatering dessert.
- Chocolate Fondue is a great topping for banana bread. You can make it in a few minutes and either drizzle it on the bread or serve it in a small pot with the bread.
- Chocolate Ice Cream surprisingly tastes great with banana bread. It is truly a summer treat.
- Vanilla Yogurt is a light side dish that you can serve with banana bread, especially if you are having it for breakfast.
- Cold Coffee and banana bread have an old relationship and it tastes absolutely heavenly.
Other Recipes to Try
- Banana Carrot Muffins
- Crispy Air-Fryer Banana Fritters
- Vegan Zucchini Muffins
- Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins
- Banana Strawberry Chocolate Smoothie
Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas, large)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts/ pecans or chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F and move the oven rack to the third position. It will prevent the bread from burning at the top.
- Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or any bread pan you have with non-stick spray, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or an electric mixer. Set it side.
- Whisk butter and brown sugar in a bowl. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. Then add yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in small batches and whisk well. Make sure there are no flour pockets in the batter. Do not overmix and fold in the nuts or chocolate chips if you are using any.
- Pour the batter into the paking pan. Shake the pan to spread the batter evenly.
- Bake it for 60 minutes, making sure to cover the bread with aluminium foil to prevent the top from getting burnt. When the bread is done, check with a toothpick to make sure the center is cooked.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for approximately 1 hour. Remove it from the pan and let it cool on the rack.
- Serve the bread with your favorite side dish or banana cream custard and enjoy
Notes
- You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I use unsalted butter because of its taste.
- If you want sweeter bread, increase the brown sugar to 1 cup. You can also use regular white sugar instead of brown sugar for this recipe.
- You can use the same recipe to make banana muffins. The total bake time for muffins is only 20-25 minutes.
- If you are out of yogurt, feel free to use sour cream or use an additional 1/3 cup of mashed banana (in addition to 2 cups).
- If you are using frozen bananas, make sure to thaw them and drain off excess liquid.
