My Favourite Banana Bread
Published: March 5, 2024.
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This banana bread is super moist with a tender crumb, rich caramelization and delicious banana and brown sugar flavours. Everyone’s favourite, this is the BEST Banana Bread Recipe!
Easy to make with a bowl and a whisk, this recipe features pantry staples like richly flavoured dark brown sugar, warming cinnamon, vanilla and two farm fresh eggs.
The butter adds moisture and richness while a little tangy buttermilk helps to balance the sweetness and works with the baking soda to provide lift. These simple ingredients combine to create the texture and flavours that are everything you could want in a classic banana bread.
There are five more delicious banana bread recipes on the blog, but THIS banana bread recipe is the OG. The banana bread of my childhood, the one that started it all and that will forever remind me of my mother. It’s so delicious warm or toasted with lots of melty butter, and it tastes even better on the second or third day — if it doesn’t disappear before then.
Everyone's favourite thing to bake, there’s a reason why this classic never disappoints. It’s cozy, so comforting and will make your kitchen smell like a bakery. Can you think of anything better?
5 More Favourite Quick Bread Recipes
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Makes 8-10 servings; prep time 15 minutes, cook time 60-65 minutes.
Ingredients:
3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup butter (115 grams), melted and cooled (sub vegan)
¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk
1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla
½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ cups (195 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC) and prepare parchment-lined 8½ x 4½-inch (1.5 litre) glass loaf pan or grease the pan generously.
In a large bowl, mash bananas completely then whisk in eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar and brown sugar. Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and continue mixing until well combined and the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan, pressing it into the corners and smoothing out the top with a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon if needed. The batter will almost fill the pan and that’s okay!
Bake on the middle rack until a tester comes out clean, about 60-65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 60-minute mark. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Using parchment edges, remove loaf from pan and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 20 minutes more before slicing and enjoy!
Notes:
Make it gluten free: Use an equal amount of your favourite, good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
Ripened bananas: Did you know you can ripen bananas more quickly by placing them on a baking sheet and heating them in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven for 15 minutes? Once they’ve darkened, remove from oven and let cool completely then peel and mash. To use frozen bananas, thaw to room temperature then drain off any excess liquid and continue as instructed above.
Don’t have buttermilk? To make your own, stir 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice into ½ cup 2% or whole milk and let stand for 5 minutes while you mix together the remaining ingredients.
Storage: This loaf will keep well in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw on the counter overnight.
