Best Classic Banana Bread
Last updated on June 30th, 2026
Super moist with a tender crumb, rich caramelization and all the delicious banana and brown sugar flavours, this is the Best Classic Banana Bread recipe.
Easy to make with a bowl and a whisk, this banana bread recipe features pantry staples like richly flavoured dark brown sugar, warming cinnamon, vanilla and two farm fresh eggs. Serve it warm, straight from the oven, or toasted with lots of melty butter. It tastes even better on the second or third day — if it doesn’t disappear before then.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the Best Classic Banana Bread
- 3-4 very ripe medium-sized bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (115 grams) butter, melted and cooled (sub dairy free)
- ¼ cup (60 grams) buttermilk (see note to make your own)
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla
- ½ cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (1.5 gras) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
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 a few 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.
A few helpful tips for making the Best Classic Banana Bread
✨ The day-two secret
As this banana bread rests overnight, the natural starches and rich brown sugar continue to meld, making the crumb even more moist and intensely flavourful on the second day!
To keep it pristine, wrap the cooled loaf tightly and store it on your counter—never in the fridge, which can dry out the texture.
Everyone’s favourite thing to bake, there’s a reason this Best Classic Banana Bread recipe never disappoints. It’s cozy, so comforting and will make your kitchen smell like a bakery!
Try these One Bowl Banana Muffins or this Favourite Zucchini Bread next.
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Best Classic Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3-4 very ripe medium-sized bananas mashed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled (sub dairy free)
- ¼ cup buttermilk see note to make your own
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon 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, buttermilk, 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!
Do you use 1/4 of a cup or 1/2 of a cup of buttermilk?
Hi Debbie! This recipe calls for ¼ cup buttermilk. Hope you love!
So delicate, moist, delicious! I used 4 medium bananas and whole milk with lemon juice. It was a hit, gone in less than 24 hours, so now I need to make more! I sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top before baking.
Perfect! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Happy New Year!✨
Best banana bread! Baked beautifully in high altitude without tweaking the recipe, I added some extra baking time.
Roasted bananas and walnuts and added Ube extract to add a purple swirl and blueberries. Really good, thank you!! A keeper.
Thank you so much Mary! K
Thinking to make this. How do you decide if it’s 3 or 4 bananas? I’d imagine it would come out differently with different amounts.
Hi Didi! This recipe will work well with 3 medium-sized bananas. Hope you love the recipe! K
I had never made banana bread before this recipe. It is so good! It’s rich and super moist. I made it on Monday and made it again today, Saturday LOL. It’s in the oven now. I added just a few walnuts in this one so we’ll so how that goes. My fiance asked about peanut butter, so I may add some the next time and see how that goes too! Thanks for the recipe ?
Thank you so much Danika! I love everything about this, I think I’ll make it again tomorrow too! K
I was on the hunt for the perfect banana bread recipe specifically for a glass loaf pan. This recipe was perfect! SO. GOOD. I didn’t have milk/buttermilk so substituted with oat milk and lemon, and added walnuts and chocolate chips. Also used 4 bananas. It baked perfectly. Thank you for this delicious recipe! A keeper for sure! ? ? ?
Hi Stephanie! I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, thank you so much and for sharing your review! K
I’ve just made the banana bread, and it tastes divine!! Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you Munira! K
I have tried many recipes for banana bread and this by far is the best. I usually make it with cream cheese, but no need to for this recipe, its delicious. Thank you
Thank you so much Betsy! I really appreciate you making it and sharing your kind review! K