Homemade Banana Bread
Moist, tender banana bread with a golden crust, made in one bowl with very ripe bananas, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon.
- Total1 hr 45 min
- Yield1 loaf
- LevelEasy
Not yet kitchen-tested This recipe is written from established cooking techniques and reviewed for accuracy, but our team hasn't cooked it from these exact instructions yet. How we test recipes
The riper the bananas, the better the bread. Heavily speckled or even mostly brown bananas are sweeter and more fragrant, and they mash easily into the batter.
Melted butter and brown sugar keep the loaf moist for days. Like most quick breads, it slices most cleanly once it has cooled.
Recipe
Homemade Banana Bread
Moist, tender banana bread with a golden crust, made in one bowl with very ripe bananas, brown sugar, and a hint of cinnamon.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Cool time
- 30 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 45 min
- Yield
- 1 loaf (about 10 slices)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Breakfast
- Cuisine
- American
Ingredients
Scaling changes ingredient amounts only. Cooking times, pan sizes, and temperatures may need adjusting.
Makes: 1 loaf (about 10 slices)
Instructions
Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with parchment, leaving some overhang for lifting.
Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth, with a few small lumps.
Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk in the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the bowl. Fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the walnuts, if using.
Bake. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil after about 40 minutes.
Cool before slicing. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf out and let it cool at least 15 minutes more before slicing. Cutting it while hot can make the slices gummy.
Recipe Notes
Tips
- To ripen bananas faster, bake them unpeeled on a sheet pan at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skins turn black. Cool before using.
- Frozen bananas work well. Thaw them in a bowl and include the liquid they release.
Substitutions
- Butter: Use 1/2 cup neutral oil for an even moister, slightly denser loaf.
- Mix-ins: Replace the walnuts with chocolate chips, pecans, or leave them out.
Allergens: Contains wheat, milk, and eggs. Contains tree nuts if you add walnuts.
Recipe from The Cozy Recipe Kitchen: https://cozy-recipe-kitchen.b-cdn.net/recipe/homemade-banana-bread/
Storage and Reheating
Wrap the cooled loaf and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Freezing
Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices, wrapped well, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast slices from frozen.
Make Ahead
Banana bread is often even better the next day as the moisture evens out.
Troubleshooting
- The center sank.
- It was likely underbaked or the oven ran cool. Use the toothpick test, and consider an oven thermometer to check your oven’s accuracy.
- The loaf is dense and gummy.
- The batter was overmixed or the loaf was sliced while hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I change the number of slices, does the pan size change?
Yes. Doubling makes two loaves, so bake them in two 9-by-5-inch pans. Pan size affects baking time, so rely on the toothpick test.
Allergens and Food Safety
Allergens: Contains wheat, milk, and eggs. Contains tree nuts if you add walnuts.
Allergen notes are based on the listed ingredients. Always check product labels. See our Disclaimer.
Nutrition Information
We don't publish nutrition facts for this recipe yet. We'd rather share none than share numbers that haven't been calculated with a documented method. Learn more.
Made This Recipe?
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