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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Delish!
With 3 kids, I’ve been doing so much cooking for the past couple of years that I’d lost the will to bake. Lol. Besides, my girls have morphed into much better bakers than me. But, now that the kids are older and I’ve developed the stamina to chop/slice/dice and cook for hours because I’m not out running errands every other minute due to the current health crisis, I decided to take two large bananas and turn them into bread.
I get frustrated with recipes that clearly were never made by the author, so I always know I can trust Jenn’s recipes. I know they will turn out, and if they don’t, then it’s user error. This bread was fantastic. It had just the right amount of sweetness and the bread itself was light. Sometimes banana bread can be very heavy but the recipe for this bread was just perfect.
Thanks for getting me baking again!
The perfect banana bread! Seriously is the best!!!
I made this – delicious! Best cake I’ve ever made and better than Starbucks’ banana bread (oops! Sorry Starbucks!). I used coconut sugar (4oz/1/2 cup) and 2 medium ripe bananas and it looks just like your picture. I was looking at it in the oven from 35 minutes and it was wet and shook in loaf pan when tapped; to solid and didn’t shake at 40 minutes. I took it out even though there was a moist area along a slight crack in the middle. I tested it with a skewer which was clean in outer regions. Glad I did as it was so moist and not overcooked and dry. Well impressed and will be trying the blueberry/lemon loaf next as I have a lemon tree with fruit. Thank you.
I have made this recipe twice now, the second time being a demand by the family as it was an absolute hit the first time! Finally a banana bread recipe which is fantastic! It is really important not to overmix the flour in the last stage, as this as made my banana bread a whole different thing. Oh, and yes, DO TOAST IT THE NEXT DAY. It tastes even better!! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
This has become the only banana bread recipe I use. I like to make it in 3 small (5-3/4″x3″) pans and it bakes for 28 minutes. Today I folded in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips right after adding the dry ingredients. It turned out really well! Thank you for this recipe (you had me at lemon).
I made this a couple of days ago. I’ve been making banana bread for decades, and usually use a baking mix like Bisquick or Jiffy. But I didn’t have either in the house, and with two very ripe bananas on the counter just begging to be used, I decided to make one from scratch. I used the basic recipe, but added some additional spices for extra flavor — cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla. I’ve been adding these to my banana breads for years and they always turn out very flavorful.
I didn’t use the lemon juice — couldn’t see the need for it. I assume it’s to keep the bananas from turning brown, but since they’re baked into the bread, what’s the point ? I also thought the lemon flavor might overwhelm the banana. I’ve never put lemon juice in any banana bread I’ve ever made, and there have been many, many over the years. Seems like a weird ingredient to me. The additional spices preclude the need for anything else to create flavor.
I also didn’t mix the wet and dry separately — I just threw everything into one bowl and mixed it up just until it was blended. That’s how I typically make this bread and have never had a problem with it coming out badly. I baked it at the recommended 350 for about 40 minutes or so. I tend not to time things either, I simply rely on rise and color. A clean toothpick stuck into various parts of the bread told me it was done. Came out great !!
Gee, no wonder you only gave this banana bread recipe four stars. You changed it so much by adding more spices, omitting the lemon juice, and dumping all the ingredients in at once, you
created an entirely different recipe! Sorry my fellow baker, that’s not fair to Jenn, or the rest of the testers.
I used your recipe yesterday and the loaf cane out great! Have you used this recipe for muffins? If so, how many did the mix make and for what temperature/length of baking? Thanks!
Hi Jana, Glad you liked this! The recipe would also work nicely for muffins. It should yield 12 muffins. I’d keep the oven temp the same and start checking them for doneness at about 18 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Hi, when making banana bread I sometimes bookmark recipes I see, or tear out of a magazine. About two weeks ago I made banana bread from a magazine recipe. Yesterday, I wanted to make this bread again, but could not find the recipe. I googled “Easy Banana Bread” and I chose your recipe. The recipe I made two weeks prior called for brown sugar, nutmeg, etc. I preferred my previous recipe, because it was a stronger taste. Your recipe was fine, but I think I should have added the brown sugar and nutmeg to improve the taste.
I don’t know whether mine is good or not, but we love it, i reduced the amount of baking powder into half since the last time i baked it tastes a little bit bitter, and i add 1/2 cup choco chips in batter. In another muffin recipe i don’t have any sour cream or Greek yogurt, can i substitute it with just a plain yogurt and lemon juice? Please let me know, my bananas got ripened so fast, i am out of ideas how to use them
Hi Dwi, Glad you liked this! Without looking at the muffin recipe you’re referring to, it’s hard to say for sure, but you should be able to substitute the Greek yogurt it calls for with plain yogurt (and no need to add lemon juice). Hope that helps!
Hi can i ask for the measurements in grams please, does anyone know? Also do you use plain flour? This recipe looks amazing so i can’t wait to bake this with my six children!! Thank you 🙂
Hi Sarah, This recipe actually has conversions to grams. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. (And yes, plain flour is correct — it’s the same thing as all-purpose flour.) Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Is it possible to use lemon juice from the bottle instead of fresh lemons.
Thank you
Sure, Lin, you can get away with that. Enjoy!