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 love all your recipes, Jenn, and your wonderful teaching style. You provide so much more than just a recipe. You offer helpful tips every step of the way through each recipe, which I appreciate. I’ve made this banana bread recipe several times and always enjoy it. I have two questions for you: 1) You call for a metal 9×5 pan. I have a glass pan of that size, which I used. I also have smaller 8.5×4.5 pans that are metal. How important is it to use a metal pan? And how important is the size when both pans are so close in size? 2) More often than not my bread is done except for the top middle. So I bake the bread longer to finish that middle. My oven runs hotter than your recipes call for so I bake this bread at 340 for 42 minutes. I sometimes turn off the oven for the last minute or two to fully bake the center without drying out the outer edges. But this center issue is a problem. I feel that my bread would be slightly moister if I didn’t have to continue to bake it once all but the top center is done. Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Karen, I believe the issue is the glass pan. In general, when substituting a glass baking dish in a recipe that calls for a metal baking pan, you should lower the oven temperature by 25°F, as glass transfers more heat than metal. And even though 9×5-in and 8×4-in pans are close in size, it’s important to use the pan that is called for. Hope that helps and so glad you like the recipes!
Yes, Jenn, your reply is both helpful and fascinating. I now understand how using a glass pan rather than metal is causing the problem that I asked you about. Many thanks for your help!
Very Good! Added Chunks of chocolate and it was a crowd pleaser…Thanks!
This is a very moist banana bread. I’ve made this recipe many times and it never fails. I sometimes add chopped nuts but never alter the recipes because they work! Loved baked gift also.
I’ve made this numerous times and it’s excellent!! Can the recipe be doubled?
Sure, Lori, just divide the batter between two loaf pans. (And glad you like it!)
incorporate the banana juice into the batter.
This was good but not our favorite banana bread recipe.
It’s a super yummy banana bread as it is but my husband is gluten free. How can I make this recipe gluten free?
Hi Lori, I would try a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it.
I have tried many banana bread recipes over the years, and this one is the BEST! It’s a little bit more effort than the usual ones made with vegetable oil in that you have to cream the butter and sugar in this recipe; however, I think it is well worth the tiny bit of extra work! I love that it is less dense and oily. I will be making this again and again!
I admit I had low expectations because my bananas, frozen and thawed, were disgustingly brown and slimy. I was afraid they had fermented, but I had faith and made the recipe anyway with my 3-year old daughter. I will never try another banana bread recipe. Until now, I could never get banana bread to bake fully on the inside. Now Jenn’s recipe is my secret weapon!
My edits: I used only 2/3 of the sugar called for (it came out with an amazing caramelly flavor) and I used 25% whole wheat flour, 25% oats, and 50% white flour. I also added chopped pecans. I love a hearty, chewy, nutty texture in a banana bread, and this is exactly what I got. Total win.
Made it but put 1 tsp lemon extract instead of lemon juice.Works as a great substitude! Next time im skipping the baking power…makes it too light and i like heavy amd moist! Other than that…good receipe!