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 just made this. It’s so yummy. I added a few more bananas and a tiny bit more flour.
Turned out excellent!!
Thanks for your recipe!
🙂
Gave it a whirl and it seemed to come out fine. I skewer tested it and everything and the skewer came out clean. While cooling on the rack though the top caved in and when I checked inside I found the inside was still not cooked. Not sure why the skewer test came out clean when it was still not fully cooked in the center but sadly there was no fixing it at that point.
Pretty much every other recipe I’ve looked at or used had at least 50 minutes, usually 55 minutes, for a cooking time at 350 degrees. I guess it doesn’t surprise me that this one did not cook after 45 in the oven as that cooking time just seems too low. For anyone trying this recipe I would definitely make doubly sure it’s done before you pull it out.
I am not usually a fan of banana bread but had some that were going in the trash if I didn’t use them, so happy I did. This is a simple recipe and I have to admit I was surprised at the lack of seasonings. I think I figured out why I don’t normally like banana bread. Most recipes have too much added seasonings that just take away from the simplicity of the banana. Thank you for another keeper!
This is everyone’s favorite banana bread recipe in my family. It is different from the stodgy, heavy, sugary banana bread recipes I’ve tried (and liked!) before. This recipe gives a really nice, not too heavy loaf, with a nice crumb and good moisture. The banana flavor and aroma are there but not overpowering, which was a favorite for our adult crowd. I could see it being successful even with a little less sugar. Nuts could be a great addition but I’d pass on chocolate because it might distract from the bread’s delicious flavor. Overall, this is a hit! My favorite part is the crispy crust—can’t get enough of it with coffee or tea!
This cake was very easy to make and I added a handful of hazelnuts to the mix . I adjusted the baking time so that the cake was in the oven a bit longer – 4 m ins or so.
The texture is lovely and moist and its a good sized loaf but I have to be honest it was not my best tasting banana bread as there just wasn’t enough banana – I used exactly what the recipe states I weighted it out – all blackened . It just tasted like a nice cake not banana bread . But toasting it did bring out the flavour a bit more . Question- could I increase the amount of banana – say a third large banana – without messing up the balance of the cake ? That would fix it .
Hi Louise, I wouldn’t add another banana as it would make the bread too moist. You could maybe add a little additional banana but would not add a whole one. Hope that helps!
Recipe was nice and simple to follow. My bread was not done in the middle, as my oven bakes uneven, so it appears darker but not a burnt flavor. I measured out the banana puree to 1 cup, but wished I had added extra. I added walnuts as well. Overall, very pleased!
Excellent recipe! Made double batch today and it is just about gone. Love the the subtle sweetness of it, other recipes usually turn out too sweet. Added some nuts to it too and didnt have vanilla, or lemon juice and it still turned out fabulous!
Perfect recipe! This is the second time I’ve made it because my family loves it so much!
This is the only banana bread I will make. It turns out perfectly every single time.Everyone who I take it to loves it!!
Another winner from Jenn! Take her word for it that this bread gets even better the next day and is out of this world toasted – yummy!