Banana Bread

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Best 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!

Partially-sliced loaf of banana bread.

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!

“Best banana bread ever! And I have tried a lot of different recipes. I think the secret is the lemon juice!”

Doris

What You’ll Need To Make Banana Bread

ingredients for making 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.

dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

Whisk to combine.

whisking dry ingredients in bowl.

In the bowl of an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

creaming butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time.

adding eggs one at a time.

Beat well after each addition.

eggs fully incorporated.

Add the mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

adding the mashed bananas, lemon and vanilla.

Mix well. It will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay.

Electric mixer in a bowl of grainy batter.

Add the dry ingredients.

adding dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

finished banana bread batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

banana bread batter in loaf pan ready to bake.

Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

baked banana bread fresh out of the oven.

Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

banana bread cooling on rack.

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

How can I quickly ripen bananas?

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.

Can I freeze overripe bananas for later use in banana bread?

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.

Partially-sliced loaf of banana bread on parchment paper.

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!

Servings: Makes one 9 x 5 inch loaf
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5-inch metal loaf pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • This banana bread recipe is the best ever! Followed the directions with no changes and it came out perfect. My family loved it and has already requested that I make it again. It was moist and delicious and gone the same day so there was no chance of toasting it the next morning! This recipe will be on the favorites list. Thank you so much.

  • I tried this not to long ago, and I was impressed. Wonderful flavor and texture!

  • I make this banana bread almost weekly. I give half to mother in law and keep half for us. The bread is delicious and definitely a family favorite.

  • I have tried many banana bread recipes over the years and this is my go to one now. Whenever I make it for someone else, I am always asked if I can send the recipe. It has a perfect balance of flavors. This won’t last long at your house!

  • I love banana bread and look for new recipes all the time. I’ve used the same recipe passed to me using oil for the last 25 years and wanted to try one with butter. It was so flavourful and I knew your recipe would not disappoint. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and I am always so happy with the results. This banana bread is moist and won’t last long on your kitchen counter.

  • I only had one banana so I cut this recipe in half and made muffins. Half the recipe made just over 6 muffins. They were delicious right out of the oven.

  • Hi Jenn,

    I love your banana bread recipe and use it often. I am thinking about making it for my daughter’s first birthday but am wanting to substitute apple sauce for some of the sugar since she’s never had sugar before. Do you think this would work? If so, how much applesauce should I use, and how much should I reduce the sugar? If not, do you have any other recommendations?

    • Hi Adrienne, I’d be concerned that the bread would be too sweet with applesauce and I’m not sure of a great alternative to the sugar – I’m sorry!

  • Love this recipe and have had great success with it, but this time the entire center is raw and won’t cook! Too much banana? I used 2.5 decent sized ones…

    • Hi JJ, sorry to hear you had a problem this time around! It sounds like you used the correct amount of banana. Considering you’ve made this successfully before, is there a chance you made a measuring error this time? Or did you use a different sized pan?

  • Absolutely delicious! Hands down the best banana bread I’ve ever made. Added mini chocolate chips just because that’s what my family enjoys but certainly not necessary.

  • This banana bread is so delicious! It’s light, moist and flavourful. I’ve never added lemon juice to banana bread before but I think it’s a game changer! My new go to recipe for banana bread! Thanks again Jenn!

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