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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Bread

    Banana Bread

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Oct 17, 2023 Leave a Comment UPDATED ON: Oct 17, 2023

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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    banana bread with text on it saying homemade banana bread.
    banana bread with text on it saying homemade banana bread.
    banana bread with text on it saying homemade banana bread split photo.

    Our Banana Bread recipe is made with ripe bananas to create a delicious quick bread. Eat as is or warm with a bit of butter or jelly.

    banana bread on a serving tray with two slices in the fronst and sliced bananas to either side.

    Banana bread is a go-to when someone has ripe bananas, but you can enjoy banana bread anytime. And our banana bread recipe is so good you’ll want to make it again and again!

    While banana bread is typically made in a loaf pan you can easily make banana bread muffins, a banana bread sheet cake, or even chocolate chip banana bread. Some also like to add nuts to make banana nut bread.

    Don’t have bananas and want a delicious quick bread now? Try our Apple Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Bread or Gingerbread Loaf.

    How to ripen bananas quickly

    You can put underripe or unripe bananas in a paper bag. This will take 1-3 days. Bananas give off ethylene gas and quickly ripen in the enclosed environment.

    Ripen bananas in a 350 degrees F oven by placing them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and baking for 12-15 minutes. They should be mushy once you remove the peel. Allow to cool before handling.

    warm sliced banana bread with melted butter and two banana slices.

    Banana Bread Ingredients:

    • Bananas – Using ripe bananas is the key to a sweet and moist banana bread.
    • Butter or oil – We use butter as we prefer the flavor it gives the bread, but you could also swap it out for a neutral oil like safflower or vegetable. You can use vegan butter for this recipe. If you use oil add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
    • Granulated Sugar – We prefer all granulated sugar for banana bread. You can also swap for some light brown or dark brown sugar.
    • Eggs – Take your eggs out 30 minutes before baking. Also, you can use 1/4 cup applesauce.
    • Vanilla Extract – Use a quality vanilla extract.
    • All-Purpose Flour – Although this is banana bread, do not use bread flour.
    • Baking Soda – Do not use baking powder. This recipe calls for baking soda.
    • Cinnamon – We love the hint of cinnamon. During the fall, we’ll also add some ginger, nutmeg, and ground cloves with the cinnamon.
    • Optional add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts.
    banana bread 3 slices stacked in front of half of a loaf on a tray with a bit of butter on the top piece.

    How to make Banana Bread

    Preheat the oven, grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan, and set aside.

    Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl: flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.

    Next, combine the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the bananas and mix until the bananas are incorporated.

    Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and then fold in any add-ins at this time. Do not overmix the batter.

    Pour the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with minimal crumbs.

    Allow the bread to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan to slice.

    banana bread with butter on it.

    Recipe Tips and Alterations:

    • While mashed bananas are the star of the bread, you can add optional add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, or even dried fruit like raisins.
    • Want more of a rich molasses flavor? Swap some of the granulated sugar out for a bit of light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
    • We use an 8×4 inch loaf pan, but you can also use a 9×5 if that’s all you have.
    • This bread is excellent at room temperature, but try it toasted with butter or try our banana bread french toast recipe!
    • We use a stand mixer but you can use a hand mixer or a danish whisk.
    • Using a stand mixer? No need to mash the bananas. Break them in half; when you mix them, they’ll mash right up since they’re ripe. This also works well with hand mixers.
    • Like a crunchy top on your banana bread? We recommend using a bread bag. If you like a softer top you can use an airtight container or even a ziploc bag to soften the bread’s exterior.

    Storage and reheating tips:

    • How to store banana bread – We like to store banana bread in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
    • How to freeze banana bread – Wrap the whole loaf of banana bread or individual slices in plastic wrap and then place into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
    close up of sliced banana bread on a tray with sliced bananas on each side.

    How to serve:

    We love it warm with butter or a drizzle of honey. It’s also delicious on its own. We often make a double or triple batch of banana bread to have toasted banana bread with butter or make our banana bread french toast.

    banana bread french toast on a plate with 3 banana slices and syrup.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you use frozen bananas for banana bread?

    Let the bananas thaw in the refrigerator overnight or about 1 1/2 to 2 hours at room temperature.

    How do you prevent banana bread from browning on the edges?

    There are a few ways to prevent dark crust on banana bread.
    1. The darker the pan, the more heat it will absorb and cause a darker bread.
    2. Don’t use too much brown sugar; when it caramelizes it causes the bread to brown more.
    3. Use bananas that aren’t too ripe. As you know, the riper the banana, the darker the color and the richer the flavor. The more ripe the bananas are, the darker the bread will be.

    Why does banana bread call for ripe bananas?

    A study was done on the stages of bananas and the finding was that bananas contain more fructose, glucose, and total sugar when going from unripe to ripe, but there was no difference between ripe and overripe. The starches do break down into sugar. [Source]

    What is a quick bread?

    A quick bread is a bread that uses baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. The most common quick breads are banana bread, cornbread, biscuits, and zucchini bread.

    Can I use very overripe bananas?

    When bananas get significantly overripe, they have a stronger taste, carrying over to banana bread. If you’re okay with that flavor, yes. We prefer speckled.

    overhead photo of banana bread half with two slices and butter on one.

    Find more banana recipes

    banana chia pudding in a bowl with a banana slices

    Banana Chia Pudding

    chocolate covered bananas

    Chocolate Covered Bananas

    healthy banana muffins

    Healthy Banana Muffins

    banana bread.

    Banana Bread

    Author: Courtney
    Our Banana Bread recipe is made with ripe bananas to create a delicious quick bread. Eat as is or warm with a bit of butter or jelly.
    5 from 4 votes

    (click stars to vote)

    Print Pin SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Cooling time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 223kcal
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: banana bread
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    Ingredients

    • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 cup butter softened, or vegetable oil
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 3-4 ripe bananas mashed
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • optional additions 1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×4 loaf pan.
    • In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. (only use 1/4 teaspoon salt if not using salted butter) Set aside.
    • In a mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and mix until fluffy and creamy. Add in the mashed bananas and eggs. Mix until combined.
    • Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and then fold in any add-ins at this time. Do not overmix the batter.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
    • Bake the banana bread for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with minimal crumbs.
    • Let the bread cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

    Tried this recipe?

    We’d love to know what you think! Please leave a rating and comment to share your thoughts on this recipe. Your feedback helps us continue sharing free, high-quality recipes with you. Thank you so much!

    Notes

    If you’re using unsalted butter or oil, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Banana Bread
    Serving Size
     
    1 g
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    223
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    10
    g
    15
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    6
    g
    38
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.4
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    62
    mg
    21
    %
    Sodium
     
    197
    mg
    9
    %
    Potassium
     
    39
    mg
    1
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    30
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    15
    g
    17
    %
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    338
    IU
    7
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    0.03
    mg
    0
    %
    Calcium
     
    12
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    full nutrition disclaimer

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag us on social media using @knowyourproduce and or use #knowyourproduce!

    POSTED IN: Bread Breakfast Recipes Dessert Recipes Recipes Vegetarian Recipes bananas butter cinnamon eggs flour oil sugar vanilla

    About Courtney

    Fruit and Veggie lover. I love making produce fun and delicious, not to mention taking tons of pictures in the process! :-)

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