Classic Banana Bread
This Classic Banana Bread is perfectly sweet, moist, and full of flavor! You can enjoy this bread plain, with chopped walnuts, or even chocolate chips. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Do you ever end up with a bunch of overripe bananas sitting on your counter at the end of the week? Just me? Truth be told, I love bananas but we usually buy too many at the store and then end up with a bunch left over. One of my favorite ways to use up all of those overripe bananas is with this homemade banana bread recipe!
Originally published in 2018, I’ve updated this post with a lot more information and step photos to help you along the way. Not only is this the best banana bread recipe you’ll ever try, but it’s also:
- Incredibly easy to make
- Super moist, no dry banana bread anywhere in sight!
- Made with simple pantry staples that you likely have on hand
I’ve also included notes on how to freeze your banana bread, ripen your bananas quickly, and so much more!
Ingredients For This Recipe
To make this easy banana bread you’ll start out by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe we’ll be using:
- Unsalted Butter: Some banana bread recipes use oil, but I find that butter works best in this recipe. It also provides more flavor than using just oil.
- Sugar: I use a mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar adds extra moisture to the banana bread as well.
- Eggs & Vanilla Extract: You’ll be using a couple of eggs to bind everything together and some pure vanilla extract.
- Mashed Bananas: There’s two cups of mashed bananas in this recipe for maximum banana flavor. The mashed bananas also help to keep this banana bread incredibly moist.
- All-Purpose Flour: This provides the structure for the banana bread. Just be sure to spoon and level your flour when you’re measuring it so you don’t end up with too much.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: There’s a combination of baking soda and baking powder in this banana bread to give it the perfect amount of lift.
- Cinnamon & Salt: The cinnamon is optional here, but it adds a beautiful flavor to the the banana bread. The salt helps to balance out the sweetness too.
- Walnuts: As always, the chopped walnuts are completely optional. I love adding some to this recipe, but feel free to leave them out!
How To Make Banana Bread
To make this banana bread, you’ll start by mixing together the wet ingredients, then the dry ingredients, then you’ll combine the two. Here’s a quick breakdown on exactly how to prepare the batter:
- Cream the butter and sugars together: It’s best to beat the butter and sugars together for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This will help incorporate more air into your batter which creates a lighter banana bread.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract: It’s best to mix in your eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla. I also like to scrape down the bowl at this point and give it another good mix.
- Mix in the mashed banana: I prefer to add the mashed banana along with the rest of the other ingredients instead of at the end to ensure that I don’t over mix the batter.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients: Whisking the dry ingredients separately helps to ensure that everything, especially the baking soda and baking powder, are evenly distributed into the batter.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients: You only want to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Over mixing the batter can lead to a super dense loaf of bread.
- Fold in the chopped walnuts: If you’re omitting the walnuts, simply skip this step!
Once the batter is ready, spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. The parchment paper is completely optional, but it will make it much easier to remove the bread from the pan.
Then, scoop the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I like to let my bread cool in the pan once it’s done for about 20 minutes, then remove it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
FAQ’s
How ripe should your bananas be?
The best kind of bananas for this recipe are ones that are overripe with a lot of speckles. If your bananas are still green or just yellow, then I suggest waiting a little longer.
If you need to speed up the process and ripen your bananas quicker, simply place them in a brown paper bag for 1-3 days. The ethylene gas will build up in the bag and circulate around the bananas, speeding up the ripening process.
How do you store this bread?
You can store this banana bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. While it’s not necessary to store banana bread in the refrigerator, it will help it stay fresh a little longer. If you need to store it a couple days longer then I suggest storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, absolutely! To freeze the the loaf: Wrap the loaf tightly with plastic wrap and store it in a freezer bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, place it on the counter for several hours or overnight so that it can come to room temperature.
To freeze individual slices: Slice the bread and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place the baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours or until the slices are frozen. Place the frozen slices in a freezer bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can thaw individual slices to room temperature or reheat frozen slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time or until warmed through.
Baking Tips
- When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it out of the container with the measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- You can use your electric mixer to mash your bananas before getting started with this recipe. Just make sure to wipe the mixer and bowl clean before you cream your butter and sugar together.
- You’ll need two cups of mashed bananas for this recipe, which usually comes out to about 4 large bananas or 5 medium bananas.
More Easy Banana Recipes To Try!
- Banana Muffins
- Banana Cake
- Banana Crumb Cake
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Video Tutorial
Classic Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (440 grams) mashed banana
- 1/2 cup (80 grams) chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 4-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla, making sure to mix well after each addition. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the mashed banana and mix until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, making sure not to overmix the batter. Gently stir in the chopped walnuts.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it around into one even layer.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tent with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning if needed.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the loaf pan for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the bread from the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Hi,
Just wanted to say that I totally screwed your banana bread but still was a delicious one.
I don’t know why I understood 2 bananas instead of 4-5 :))) and I didn’t get it for the flour. In your recipe you say to cups (250g). I didn’t understand if it has to be a total of 250g or one cup is 250g so a total of 500g. So I put some…350g or something. It was a REAL bread as consistency. But great.
Maybe you can tell me about the 250g or 500g. I’ll try your recipe, “the real deal” 🙂
Thanks
2 cups of flour is equal to 250 grams 🙂
What is all purpose flour?
Is it the same as cake flour or is it just plain bread flour? You
It’s the same as plain flour (not bread or cake flour).
This is amazing Recipe… the banana bread come out really moist, and delicious. I used exact given ingredients.
I am getting ready to make this recipe. Can it be doubled straight up or do any ingredients need to be adjusted? Thanks
It would be fine to double it, but it will be a lot of batter so just be careful not to over mix it.
Hi,
Would I be able to substitute honey for sugar in this recipe?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. I do have a whole wheat banana bread recipe here that uses a little brown sugar and honey. I hope that helps!
What’s the difference between a recipe that says for example 1 cup melted butter from 1 cup butter melted?
If a recipe calls for 1 cup melted butter, you would melt some butter and measure out 1 cup of it. If a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, melted then you would just take 2 sticks (1 cup of butter) and melt it. The difference between the two will probably not be very much though.
Hi there, I’ve been making this banana bread for a while now and it’s very quickly made it to be one of my families favorites. I was just wondering if i could use the same recipe for muffins and add some chocolate chips and walnuts ?
Yes, absolutely! The baking time would be about 20 to 25 minutes and it should make 12 to 14 larger muffins. I also have a banana muffin recipe here.
Incredible!! I added crushed almonds and chocolate chips. Baking time took 30 minutes longer for me.
How would you make these into muffins?
I would just use a regular muffin pan, fill each one all the way to the top, and bake for 20-25 minutes. I have a banana muffin recipe here too.
Hi! I was wondering if I could add some blueberries to this recipe? If so, do you recommend fresh vs froze and how much would be ok?
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely! I would probably use 1 cup of blueberries. Fresh would be best, but you can use frozen too. If you use frozen, you don’t have to thaw them and just be careful not to over mix them because it can turn the batter purple.
So I leave the parchment paper in?
You want to line the pan with parchment, then add the banana bread batter. Once the bread is baked and has cooled off some, you can use the overhang from the parchment paper to lift the bread out of the pan.
Made this banana bread last night and it was delicious! I had three ripe bananas, which only wound up being 1 cup mashed. But I made the rest of the recipe as written and somehow it still turned out great! I’ll definitely be making this again 🙂
So happy to hear that, Claire!
Great recipe! My last attempt at making banana bread was a disaster – so I approached this very cautiously.It really helped that you’ve included the weight. It came out looking and tasting amazing. I added some chocolate chips on top and they added a little extra crunch. My kids loved it. Thank you so much!
Hi! Do you have the calories per serving and number of survings for this recipe? Thank you!
That should say “servings” not “survings” 🙂
Hi, Leah! It will make one loaf which you can cut into 8 to 10 slices. I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
Hi Danielle,
Can I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular flour?
I think that would be fine, but it may affect the texture slightly. You could also use half whole wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour.
Hi Danielle,
I made your banana bread a few times, and some of my family said that my banana bread crust is too dry, but it’s perfect inside. Do you know what might cause my banana bread crust to turn out dry, is there anything I could do to fix it?
Thank you so much, love your recipe
Hi, Viva! Are you using a darker loaf pan? If so, it may be cooking the outside of the banana bread a bit quicker. You could try reducing the baking time by just a few minutes and see if that helps too.
Can I use brown sugar only when I don’t have granulated?
Yes, that would be fine!
Wondering if anyone has followed this recipe but used a “one to one” type gluten free flour instead. I’ve found specific gluten free banana bread recipes too dry. I made this recipe for the rest of my family and they loved it.
Hi, Cindy! I haven’t personally tested it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour. If you’ve had success using a certain brand that substitutes 1:1 in other recipes, then it may work in this one.
Question, can I omit the baking powder?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, you’ll need it for the banana bread to rise properly. You can make some baking powder with cream of tartar and baking soda though.
This was absolutely awesome. Mmmmm, delicious and moist. This is my second time making it ???. Our son didn’t even let it cool completely before taking a piece ? lol. I recommend this wonderful wholesome cake to everyone. BTY, Do you have a blueberry muffin recipe? ??♀️
So glad you loved the banana bread! I do have a blueberry muffin recipe here too.
Hiya, can i use plain flour instead of all purpose? X
Yes, I believe they’re the same thing 🙂
What do you think the cook time would be for muffins? I don’t have a bread tin.
I would guess 20-25 minutes.
I’ve made the recipe twice this week and both times, people have been going crazy for it. I sprinkled brown sugar and walnuts on top before putting the pan in the oven, and it created a delicious topping. Great recipe! Thanks for sharing ?
can you skip baking soda in this recipe. I have baking power
thanks
I haven’t tried it, but you may be able to use an additional 1 to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder to replace it. Keep in mind that baking soda also browns baked goods and works differently, so it will affect the look and texture of the bread.
Hi, can i use self raising flour instead of all purpose flour? 🙂
Hi, Vanessa! I haven’t tried it, so I’m not quite sure. Self rising flour does have baking powder and salt already added to it, so you’d likely need to omit the baking powder and salt and adjust the baking soda some too.
Can I make this in a Bundt pan?
Yes, that would be fine. It may not be quite enough for a full bundt cake though. I do have a banana cake recipe here, you could bake that in a bundt pan too.
It was delicious and just perfect. Made it for my family and they said it was the best banana bread they have ever tasted. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Honestly I have baked since I was 10 and I have to say your recipes have felt easier and easier as I bake them. I made two loaves of this banana bread tonight (one for me and one for family) and as someone who his VERY critical of my own cooking/baking, this recipe turned out wonderful.
A gorgeous crust on the outside and a beautiful moist bread inside, sweet but not overly sweet and I added chocolate chips! Absolutely wonderful, so beginner friendly and my boyfriend cannot stop raving about this banana bread!! (He wants to keep the second loaf!!!) This recipe is the recipe to use if it’s your first time making banana bread, I swear, I followed the recipe to the absolute T and it not only was easy to follow but it was so fun to make (and turned out beautifully) . I’ll be keeping this in my bookmarks!!
So happy to hear that, Leah! Thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. It’s truly amazing. Moist and yummy. I’m curious if there’s anyway I could sub oil for butter and what would it do to the bread?
You probably can, it will change the texture of the bread a bit.
Yum!
Hi! Can I skip the cinnamon?
Yes, that’s fine.