The BEST Banana Bread Recipe

This is hands down the BEST Banana Bread recipe passed down from my Grandma! Moist, lightly sweet, and packed with rich banana flavor that works for breakfast, a delicious snack or dessert.

This has been my favorite banana bread recipe since I was a little girl and I have to give my Grandma ALL the credit. She literally makes the BEST and it was always a staple in her home growing up. This banana bread is so moist and fluffy, incredibly easy to make and is the perfect way to use up those overripe bananas. This has been one of my most popular recipes and always gets rave reviews. Everyone needs a go-to banana bread recipe and I hope this one becomes yours!

Why You’ll Love This

Moist and tender – thanks to the overripe bananas, you can expect to get super moist and tender banana bread every single time.

Customizable – feel free to add in chopped nuts, chocolate chips, cinnamon for a different flavor or simply keep it classic.

Freezer-friendly – this ultra-moist banana bread is perfect for meal prep, future snacks and quick breakfasts.

Versatile – I love using this classic banana bread recipe to make muffins, mini muffins, and even mini loaves to gift neighbors and friends.

Ingredients You’ll Need

bananas – make sure to use very ripe bananas to get that strong banana flavor and sweetness, the more brown spots the better! This truly makes or breaks a good banana bread recipe.

flour – I used all-purpose flour to stick with my Grandma’s original recipe, but you could use whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.

baking soda – this acts as a leavening agent to help the bread rise and keep it soft and fluffy. You could also use baking powder.

eggs – helps bing the loaf and gives this banana bread its structure and height.

butter – adds richness and helps keep the loaf deliciously moist and fluffy. You’ll want to make sure the butter is nice and soft (not melted butter). You could also use coconut oil in place of the butter, but it will give the bread a different taste.

sugar – I used one cup of sugar (I wanted to stick to my Grandma’s original recipe), but you could cut the amount of sugar in half if your bananas are super ripe as that should add enough sweetness. You could also swap out the white sugar for brown sugar, cane sugar, honey, maple syrup or other natural sweetener.

sour cream – this helps keep the bread super moist. You could also use plain Greek yogurt as well.

vanilla extract – enhances the banana flavor and adds warmth.

salt – balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.

How to Make Banana Bread

This particular recipe makes one standard loaf of bread, but you could also make 3 small loaves (I promise your neighbors will thank you!) or even muffins. See below for the different baking times depending on how you choose to make this.

Mix wet ingredients. Using a stand mixer or hand held electric mixer, mix together softened butter and sugar until well combined. Add in the eggs and mix well. Next add in vanilla, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and mashed bananas, continuing to blend well.

Add in dry ingredients. While the mixer is on, slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix slowly until completely combined, scraping the sides and the bottom of the bowl with a spatula. If adding any fun mix-ins like chocolate chips or nuts, feel free to fold them into the banana mixture here.

Bake the bread. Pour the batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake banana bread in the oven for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Feel free to lightly tent the bread with aluminum foil halfway through if the top starts to brown too much.

Let the bread cool. Let the bread sit for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Slice the cooled loaf and enjoy!

Tips for Making the Best Banana Bread

Use very ripe bananas – the darker they are, the more sweetness and moisture they bring. Black-spotted bananas are perfect.

Don’t overmix the batter – stir until the flour is just incorporated. Overmixing leads to dense, tough bread.

Measure flour correctly – spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off, don’t scoop! Scooping packs in too much flour and leads to dryness.

Toothpick should come out clean – oven times tend to vary so check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out clean with moist crumbs, it’s perfect.

Cool completely before slicing – letting the loaf cool completely helps set the crumb and keeps the slices from falling apart.

Variations

Flour – feel free to swap out the all-purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour or even gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour if making GF bread.  I don’t recommend using almond flour or coconut flour in this recipe.

Sour cream – you can easily swap out the sour cream and use plain Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree or even more mashed banana.

Mix-ins – mix in other fun additions like chocolate chips, chopped nuts such walnuts or pecans for banana nut bread, or even dried fruit or fresh berries.

Spices – add warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for a more seasonal bread recipe.

Other Baking Methods

If making three smaller loaves, bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes in small loaf pans, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. When making for friends and family members, I like to double this recipe and make 6 small loaves! Perfect for holidays.

This recipe also makes delicious banana muffins. Simply distribute the batter into 12 muffin cups sprayed with nonstick spray (or muffin liners) and bake at 350 degrees F for 22 to 25 minutes.

Alternatively you can make 24 mini muffins for bite-sized, poppable treats! Just bake these at 350 degrees F for about 18 to 20 minutes.

Prepping and Storage

To Store: This banana bread can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic or foil at room temp for up to 3 days, but make sure to refrigerate after that to keep this longer. This bread will last up to a week in the fridge.

To Freeze: This bread freezes really well too! You can either wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap, aluminum foil or a freezer-safe bag or you can freeze individual slices. When ready to serve, allow to thaw out overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before slicing. This bread will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Quick Bread Recipes

Healthy Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

Healthy Zucchini Bread

The Best Healthy Pumpkin Bread

Lemon Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread

Orange-Pecan Sweet Bread

Hope you all enjoy this Easy Banana Bread recipe! If you love this as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!

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