Are you looking for a deliciously simple way to use overripe bananas? Try making this easy banana bread recipe full of naturally sweet flavor from ripened bananas, vanilla extract, and a combination of sugars. You can easily make two hearty loaves without any fancy equipment.
Make sourdough banana muffins or banana carrot muffins for even more banana flavor.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Tasty banana bread begins with the right ingredients, and our easy banana bread recipe is no exception!
- All-Purpose Flour: This pantry staple provides the structure for the bread.
- Sugar: A combination of brown and white sugar adds the perfect sweetness.
- Baking Soda: Elevate banana bread with baking soda for a light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Use a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Cinnamon: Although it’s optional, I highly recommend cinnamon because of its warm and cozy flavor.
- Butter: Other banana bread recipes use oil, but I prefer the richness of butter.
- Bananas: The riper the bananas, the better to develop deep and complex flavor.
- Eggs & Yogurt: Use full-fat Greek yogurt and eggs to bring the ingredients together.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a boost in flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
Experiment with add-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, or cinnamon to customize the recipe to your liking.
- Chocolate Chips, Cocoa Powder
- Walnuts, Pecans
- Peanut Butter
- Nutmeg, All Spice
- Maple Syrup, Nutella, Cardamon Simple Syrup
- Orange Zest, Lemon Zest, Cranberries, Raisins, Apricots
- Pumpkin Puree
How to Make This Easy Banana Bread Recipe
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set them aside.
Step 2: Add the softened butter to a separate bowl and mash it with a fork. Then, stir in the bananas and combine until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Stir the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract into the butter and banana mixture until combined.
Step 4: Pour the bowl with the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and combine – careful not to over mix. Instead, fold the ingredients together using a spatula until fully incorporated.
Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic and set it aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C), then divide the mixture between two prepared loaf pans. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let the banana bread cool on a wire rack before serving.
Expert Tips
- To enhance the flavor and moisture of your bread, opt for overripe bananas – they’re sweeter and easier to mash.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- For optimal results, use room temperature ingredients; this especially applies to the eggs.
- Avoid the pitfalls of tough bread by taking care not to over-mix the batter, which can over-develop gluten.
- Grease your loaf pans or line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
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Serving Suggestions
Banana bread is delicious on its own, but here are some ideas to take the sweet treat to the next level.
- Spread a generous layer of butter, fig jam, or cream cheese on top.
- Top the bread with fresh slices of bananas or berries and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for extra sweetness.
- Pair it with cold brew latte or tea for a cozy snack.
What to do With the Leftovers
- Storage – To keep your easy banana bread recipe moist, let it cool completely and wrap it in a layer of plastic. Then, transfer it to a bag or a container. It will keep on the counter for up to 3 days.
- Freeze – Let the bread cool and wrap it in plastic, followed by foil. Banana bread freezes for 2 months.
- Thaw – Defrost the bread on the counter overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How ripe should bananas be to make a moist banana bread recipe?
Use bananas that have become a little too soft to snack on. The riper the banana, the richer the bread flavor will become.
More Bread Recipes:
Easy Banana Bread Recipe
- 2 Loaf Pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 3-4 small bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, full-fat
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set them aside.
- Add the softened butter to a separate bowl and mash it with a fork. Then, stir in the bananas and combine until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir the eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract into the butter and banana mixture until combined.
- Pour the bowl with the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and combine – careful not to over mix. Instead, fold the ingredients together using a spatula until fully incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and set it aside for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C), then divide the mixture between two prepared loaf pans. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let the banana bread cool on a wire rack before serving.
- To enhance the flavor and moisture of your bread, opt for overripe bananas – they’re sweeter and easier to mash.
- Spoon and level the flour into measuring cups for baking accuracy.
- For optimal results, use room temperature ingredients; this especially applies to the eggs.
- Avoid the pitfalls of tough bread by taking care not to over-mix the batter, which can over-develop gluten.
- Grease your loaf pans or line them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
RJ
Saturday 14th of May 2022
I love this recipe. Always comes out moist with a delicious flavor. I keep going back for more.
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 12th of June 2022
Right? I feel the same way.