This is it, the BEST Banana Bread Recipe. I’m so excited to share this one with you! My banana bread 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, a warm slice of good banana bread 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 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 for Making the Best Banana Bread
This banana bread 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 banana bread will be. The browner and spottier the better!
- You can use light or dark brown sugar in this banana bread, 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 banana bread. 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 banana bread 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 in banana bread. 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
shirley says
Hi Sam,
Can l double the banana recipe to be use for a 10 inches tube pan instead of 9 x 5 bread pan?
Thanks,
Shirley
Sam says
Hi Shirley, I haven’t tried this before but I think that it would be fine. Enjoy!
Letisha says
Thank you Sam! This was the first time I have ever made banana bread and your recipe was so easy to follow and DELICIOUS!! Thank you for this❤️🍌 I will DEFINITELY be making it again in the future!
Sending thanks all the way from South Africa xx
Sam says
Thank you so much, Letisha! I am so glad you enjoyed the banana bread! 🙂
Britt Collins says
This is absolutely the best banana bread of my life!! The top is cristy and the inside is moist and delicious! My family is going to enjoy this banana bread for years to come, thank you for perfecting your recipe 🙂
Sam says
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed, Britt! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Cheryl says
Hi Sam,
I have to tell you… I thought I had the “best banana bread” recipe until I tried your recipe. Your banana bread is delicious!!! I threw out my recipe and replaced it with yours. Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic recipes.
Sam says
Thank you so much, Cheryl! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kristin Hall says
Hi Sam,
Would it be okay if you take the bananas out. Would it still make regular bread or would it mess up the recipe?
Thanks,
Kristin
Sam says
Hi Kristin! I would not recommend leaving the bananas out of this bread. 🙂
Renea says
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic with a little blackberry jam spread over a warm slice.
Sam says
That sounds delicious! I am so glad you enjoyed the banana bread Renea! 🙂
Martha says
Love this recipe! Easy, and bread came out delicious!!
Sam says
Ah YAY! So glad to hear this! Thanks for letting me know how it worked for you, Martha, I appreciate it! You are the first to officially review it! 🙂
annie says
My husband loathes the taste of very ripe bananas but loves them when they’re still a bit green. Have you tried using such bananas in the recipe? There would still be the banana taste, more subtle and maybe a little tart.
Sam says
Hi Annie! I have not, I bet it would work though, and probably with a more subtle banana taste which it sounds like he would like. The bananas will also be a bit tougher to mash so as a bonus you might get a bit of an arm workout! If you try the recipe that way I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Juliet says
Can’t wait to try this! Banana bread with cinnamon butter (butter, cinnamon, icing sugar) is the BEST. Not the healthiest, but the best :p
Sam says
Oh that sounds SO good! Haha, probably not the healthiest but I’m going to have to try it anyway. Thanks, Juliet! 🙂
Jaime says
I definitely look forward to trying this recipe. What’s good also to try is warming a slice of banana bread, if it’s not warm already, spreading a thin layer of butter or margarine and then drizzling with maple syrup. Too good!
Sam says
I’m definitely doing this tomorrow morning! Thanks for the suggestion! I hope you love the recipe!
Chandra Persaud says
Hi Sam it’s totally OK to put butter on your banana bread😁I do all the time, I have even spread Nutella on there and also baked with swirls of Nutella in batter. Will have to try your recipe next..💕
Sam says
Omg. Nutella! I hadn’t even thought to add that to banana bread but now that you’ve said it I have to try this.
I hope you love the banana bread, Chandra! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Kimberley Gebhart says
Sam, I’ve had banana bread buttered and then grilled. Simply delicious! Great with zucchini bread too.
Sam says
Oh wow, that sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try this out! <3
Jenine A Murrin says
Would it be acceptable to replace the sugar with honey? Also, replace the oil with applesauce?
Sam says
I think the oil substitution would be fine but it’s a little hard for me to say for sure about replacing the sugar with honey. If you try it out would you let me know how it works for you?