Banana Bread
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Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Are you on the hunt for the perfect banana bread recipe? Look no further—this is the one! With a tender crumb and a crisp crust, it’s absolutely phenomenal fresh out of the oven and just as delicious toasted up for breakfast the next day. You might be surprised by an unexpected ingredient: lemon juice. While it doesn’t make the bread taste lemony, it actually enhances the banana flavor. The acidity also works with the baking soda to help the bread rise, giving it a beautiful golden color, toasty flavor, and light, fluffy texture.
My family loves this banana bread plain, but you can easily add nuts or chocolate chips if you like. And if you’re craving variety, I’ve got plenty of options, including marbled banana bread, chocolate banana bread, whole wheat banana bread, and chai-spiced banana bread. After all, you can never have too many banana bread recipes!
Table of Contents
“Best banana bread ever! And I have tried a lot of different recipes. I think the secret is the lemon juice!”
What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the bread.
- Baking soda and baking powder: Act as leavening agents to help the banana bread rise and become fluffy.
- Butter: Adds richness, moisture, and flavor to the bread, and helps create a tender crumb.
- Sugar: Sweetens the bread and contributes to the golden-brown crust when baked.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add structure, and contribute to the bread’s rise and fluffiness.
- Mashed very ripe bananas: The star ingredient that provides moisture, sweetness, and distinct banana flavor to the bread. For a really moist, banana-forward bread, use very ripe bananas. The bananas should at least be dark yellow with plenty of brown spots, and it’s okay if the skin has turned completely brown. (See the FAQs below for tips on how to speed up ripening.)
- Lemon juice: Enhances the banana flavor and reacts with the baking soda to aid in leavening and browning.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor of the banana bread, adding depth and warmth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beat well after each addition.
Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients.
Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Banana bread should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. If properly stored, it will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days. If you’re not planning to eat it within that time frame, freeze for longer storage. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil or freezer wrap, or place it in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. Crisp up individual slices in the toaster for a fresh-baked effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re in a hurry to ripen bananas for baking, there are a couple of methods you can try:
24-Hour Method: Place the bananas (still attached at the stem) in a loosely sealed brown paper bag and let them sit on the counter. Check them after 24 hours to see if they’ve ripened to your liking.
Quick Oven Ripening: If you need ripe bananas even faster, you can use your oven. Place the bananas, still in their peels, on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any leakage. Bake them at a low temperature of 250°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until they develop a deep brown color. This method helps break down the starches in the bananas quickly, resulting in a softer texture and sweeter flavor.
Absolutely! If you have overripe bananas and you’re not ready to bake, don’t let them go to waste. I typically freeze them in bags of 2 or 3, as mashed, they typically yield about 1 cup, which is what most banana recipes call for. Simply peel the bananas, place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them in the bag and then mash.
Banana Bread Video Tutorial
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Banana Bread
Say hello to your new favorite banana bread recipe! With its tender crumb, rich flavor, and irresistibly crisp crust, it’s simply the best!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, from 2-3 large bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that's okay.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 208
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Sugar: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 394 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I am a great cook ! I am a horrible baker !!! Since finding your website nobody is secretly throwing away my baked goods. Yippee. Thank you!!! I tried the banana bread in a loaf pan exactly as written. Perfect. Today, JUMBO Muffins. Exactly as written. Used pan with paper liners(sprayed). Baked up perfectly in my oven for 28 minutes.
This is my go to banana bread recipe and like Jen I never know how the consumption of bananas will turn out from week to week.
I have made this with a mixer and a whisk when I’m lazy and it turns out the same. I make muffins and keep them in the freezer. Sometimes I throw in a handful of oatmeal so they are a bit heartier for breakfast or toasted pecan as well as chocolate chips.
My favorite though is I just used the muffin top pan I have had for years and hadn’t used. OMG! So good to toast these babies in the toaster!
Just one more of Jen’s recipes that is always a winner.
If you read this and haven’t purchased her book you should. It has so many interesting stories and makes a person not so interested in cooking a bit more enthusiastic!
I have made this banana bread several times and it gets rave reviews every time. Next time I make it, I plan on adding chopped pecans.
Only banana bread I will make! I have tried the coconut one as well and they are both so yummy and irresistible. Very easy directions. Thank you chef Jennifer!
I’ve made a few of Jenn’s bread recipes and each has come out great, as did this version of banana bread. Like others, I often end up with overripe bananas and I freeze them whole. They defrost in no time at all. For this recipe, I needed three whole bananas to yield one cup. I didn’t have fresh lemons, so I substituted lemon juice. I also added one quarter cup each of chopped walnuts and mini chocolate chips. The bread is moist and delicious. I’ve cut it into slices and frozen them and that has worked well too. Question: The recipe says to use melted butter, cooled, but the directions and photo seem to indicate using softened butter. I melted the butter and cooled it, but when I added each egg, I could not beat until light and fluffy as one would in a cookie recipe. Regardless, it came out great.
I would like to use mini bunt pans to make individual loaves. Any idea on the bake time?
Additionally how long does this bread last and what’s the best way to store it
Hi Penelope, I haven’t made these in mini bundt pans, but I would start checking them at 18 – 20 minutes. And they should keep nicely for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container or just covered with foil. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe, thank you! I made it vegan using a vegan margarine and Egg Replacer. I added 2 tbsp. Tofutti sour cream and the results were perfect! Definitely a hit!
Hi Jenn-
We adore this banana bread recipe- turns out perfect every time! My 10 yr old wanted to ask you if it would be possible to modify the recipe to make a bundt cake, as she’s craving bundt cake;)
Hi Mindy, glad you like this! I think you could bake this in a bundt pan; just make sure to grease it very thoroughly so it doesn’t stick. Also, I think you’ll need to make 1.5 times the recipe to have enough batter. Baking time should be an hour give or take, but keep a close eye on it!
I tried making Banana Bread the other night and your recipe was the perfect guide. The bread came out so good !! It did take over an hour for it to completely cook but it was well worth the time. Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try out your other recipes.
This recipe has turned out consistently good each time I have made it. It is moist, flavorful and has an evenly browned crust. It is great just the way the recipe is written. For a higher calorie treat, I have added s crumble to the top and a drizzle of brown sugar glaze. It gies extremely well with the banana bread and I have received raves and requests for the recipe. You can’t go wrong with this banana bread!