This is it, the BEST Banana Bread Recipe. I’m so excited to share this one with you! My recipe is made with brown sugar, is loaded with bananas, has a subtle vanilla flavor, and includes tips for including nuts or chocolate chips if you would like. The prep is easy (less than 20 minutes, no stand mixer) and the results are divine. You’re going to want to save this one!
Do you butter your banana bread? I never have before but as I warmed up a slice this morning my eyes kept fixating on the European butter I just bought over the weekend. Is it normal to butter banana bread? I googled that question (really) but I’m still not sure. Breakfast this morning was butter-less and still excellent, but I think my next slice is going to be an experiment. Everything is better with butter, right?
Anyway, even without butter on top, this is exactly what this Monday morning needs. Moist, loaded with flavor (thanks to our key players: bananas, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla), this really is the best banana bread recipe I’ve ever tried. And I’ve tried a lot, it took over half a dozen recipe tests before I landed on this recipe.
It’s actually based off of my popular banana muffin recipe. That recipe has received nothing but rave reviews, and it only took a few simple modifications to make it perfect for baking in a bread pan.
How to Make The Best Banana Bread
- Mash your bananas. The riper the better!
- Stir together bananas, oil, and butter, then mix in sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) separately.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients gently.
- Pour into a greased bread pan and sprinkle generously with sugar (optional, but not really).
- When your banana bread is a beautiful golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s finished baking!
Tips
This recipe is pretty straightforward, but I do have a few tips that might help you out.
- The riper your bananas are, the better and more flavorful your bread will be. The browner and spottier the better!
- You can use light or dark brown sugar in this recipe, I just use whichever I happen to have on hand, which is usually light. Dark brown sugar will lend a bit more moisture, richness, and a slightly darker color to your banana bread. You really can’t go wrong either way!
- My recipe uses buttermilk for a moist texture If you don’t happen to have buttermilk in your fridge, you can use my buttermilk substitute instead (3/4 teaspoon of lemon juice + 1/4 scant cup milk).
- Chocolate chips and/or nuts go great with this recipe! More on that below…
Mix it Up
This is a classic, no-frills banana bread, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go a little crazy with it. Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or chopped nuts all go great in this recipe. Chopped pecans or walnuts are especially great. And yes, adding chocolate chips to banana bread is my idea of going crazy. It gets wild over here, guys.
Here’s a quick tip if you want to add nuts: Toast them first! I don’t really recommend toasting nuts that have already been chopped (they won’t cook evenly and you run the risk of burning them), but if you have walnut or pecan halves then layer them evenly on a baking sheet and toast at 350F for about 8 minutes. Let them cool then chop them up and toss them into your banana bread batter.
More Great Banana Recipes:
Just a few of my other popular banana recipes!
Enjoy!
The BEST Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups well-mashed overripe bananas this is usually 3 large ripe bananas for me (355ml/385g)
- 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (60ml)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted (60g)
- 2/3 cup light or dark brown sugar firmly packed (135g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup buttermilk 60ml¹
- 2 cups all-purpose plain flour (250g)
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips or chopped nuts optional²
- 1/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling optional (50g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease the bottom and 1/2" up the sides of a 9x5 bread pan. Set aside.
- Combine mashed bananas, canola oil, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.
- Add sugars and stir well.
- Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add buttermilk and stir until thoroughly combined.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and carefully, gently using a spatula (not an electric mixer) fold ingredients together until just combined. Don't overmix the batter or your banana cake could end up dense/dry. If adding nuts/chocolate chips, stir them in here.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and, if desired, sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
- Transfer to 350F (175C) oven and bake 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted all the way into the center of the cake comes out clean or preferably with a few moist crumbs. Do not over-bake your banana bread or it will be dry.
Notes
Nutrition
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Blair says
Incredible! We never need to look for another banana bread recipe again…this one is PERFECT! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
You are welcome! I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Blair! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Mary says
Simply is the best banana bread I’ve ever baked, thanks for marvelous recipe 😘
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Mary! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Amita says
Love all your baking recipes! N this turned out perfect too
Sam says
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Amita! 🙂
Mae says
Is it possible to lessen the sugar needed for the recipe? My grandma wants one but she’s diabetic 😅
Sam says
Hi Mae! I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how it would taste, but I believe it will still turn out if you reduce the sugars here. 🙂
Melody says
This lives up to it’s name!! My husband said this is the best banana bread he has ever had! It was moist and full of flavor yet not dense and heavy. This will be my go to banana bread recipe from now on!
Sam says
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Melody! 🙂