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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)

    Simply the Best Banana Bread Recipe

    Updated: Mar 30, 2022 โ€ข Published: Mar 30, 2022 by Sam Merritt โ€ข 425 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    banana bread with teal header with title at the top

    This Banana Bread Recipe uses brown sugar and lots of bananas for the BEST flavor. Plus, it takes only 15 minutes to make by hand–no mixer required! Recipe includes a how-to video!

    sliced banana bread on cooling rack

    This is it: the BEST banana bread recipe. After over half a dozen recipe tests, I finally landed on a winner. This recipe makes a moist, super flavorful (thanks to our key players: bananas, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla), and easily customizable banana bread, a near cousin to my popular carrot cake recipe.

    Want to add nuts? Go for it! Like chocolate chip banana bread? Throw them in too. Or, go a little crazy and add both–this recipe can handle it!

    My banana bread recipe is closely based off of my popular banana muffins. That recipe has received nothing but rave reviews, and it took just a few modifications to make it perfect for baking in a bread pan. Serve yours warm with a little bit of honey butter (people do eat banana bread with butter, right?), and you’ve got yourself a slice of pure perfection.

    Try it, and you can thank me later!

    What You Need

    three bananas, one partially unpeeled

    My banana bread recipe is simple and uses basic ingredients:

    • Bananas. The browner, spottier, and riper the better and more flavorful your finished bread will be.
    • Oil & butter. As with my vanilla cake recipe, I’ve found a blend of oil and butter gives this cake the best texture and flavor. Make sure to melt your butter before using.
    • Sugar. I use a blend of brown sugar and granulated for the most flavor. Dark or light brown sugar will work here; dark will give you a richer flavor, slightly more moist texture, and will make the cake darker.
    • Eggs. Large, extra large, or jumbo will work here.
    • Vanilla extract and salt. For flavor!
    • Buttermilk. This adds moisture and flavor to the cake. Real, full-fat buttermilk is best, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can always make my buttermilk substitute instead. To do this, combine ¾ teaspoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar) with ¼ scant cup milk, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
    • Baking powder & baking soda. To give the bread a bit of lift.

    SAM’S TIP: Sprinkle a little bit of extra granulated sugar over the batter just before baking for added flavor and texture.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make The Best Banana Bread Recipe

    batter in glass bowl
    1. Mash your bananas. The riper the better!
    2. Stir together bananas, oil, and butter, then mix in sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract.
    3. Whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) separately.
    4. Combine wet and dry ingredients gently.
    5. Pour into a greased bread pan and sprinkle generously with sugar (optional, but not really).
    6. 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!

    SAM’S TIP: Don’t over-mix your batter! Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined; it’s okay if you see some faint flour streaks when you’re done.

    overhead of banana bread

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What bananas are best for banana bread?

    VERY ripe bananas are ideal. We’re talking dark brown, spotty, and mushy–pretty much the opposite of what you’d like to eat! Super ripe bananas have the most flavor and will subsequently make your bread super flavorful too.

    Can I add nuts/chocolate chips/raisins to this banana bread recipe?

    Absolutely! Stir in 1¼ cup coarsely chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts are great choices), chocolate chips, or even raisins at the end. Just remember to not over-mix!

    How should banana bread be stored?

    Store at room temperature in an airtight container (or wrapped with plastic wrap) for up to three days. It can also be tightly wrapped and frozen for several months!

    How do I keep my banana bread moist?

    First make sure you do not over-bake the bread, as this is the quickest way to make it dry. Once it’s cooked and cooled, store your banana bread tightly wrapped at room temperature and enjoy within 3 days for best results. Do NOT refrigerate–this will dry out the bread!

    SAM’S TIP: If using nuts, try toasting them first for added flavor! To do this, simply spread the nuts on a baking sheet in an even layer and bake on 350F for 5-10 minutes, turning halfway through.

    sliced banana bread on cooling rack

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook.

    BANANA BREAD ON BAKING SHEET SLICED

    The BEST Banana Bread

    A moist, flavorful banana bread recipe that can be prepped and in the oven in under 20 minutes, no mixer needed. 
    Be sure to check out the how-to video at the bottom of the recipe! 
    5 from 182 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Dessert, quick bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 396kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed overripe bananas this is usually 3 large ripe bananas for me (355ml)
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
    • ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter melted
    • ⅔ cup (135 g) light or dark brown sugar firmly packed
    • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk¹
    • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose plain flour
    • ¾ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips or chopped nuts² optional
    • ¼ cup (50 g) coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and grease the bottom and ½" up the sides of a 9×5" bread pan. Set aside.
    • Combine mashed bananas, canola oil, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir until well-combined.
      1 ½ cups (385 g) well-mashed overripe bananas, ¼ cup (60 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil, ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
    • Add sugars and stir well.
      ⅔ cup (135 g) light or dark brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
    • Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.
      2 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • Add buttermilk and stir until thoroughly combined.
      ¼ cup (60 ml) buttermilk¹
    • In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
      2 cups (250 g) all-purpose, ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon 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.
      1 ¼ cups chocolate chips or chopped nuts²
    • Pour batter into prepared pan and, if desired, sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
      ¼ cup (50 g) coarse or granulated sugar for sprinkling
    • 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

    ¹Buttermilk

    If you don’t have buttermilk in your fridge, you can use my easy buttermilk substitute instead.

    ²Adding nuts

    If you have nuts that aren’t already chopped, I recommend toasting them first for an even better flavor. To toast, layer 1 ยฝ cup of walnut or pecan halves over a baking sheet and bake on 350F for about 8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool then use a large knife to coarsely chop.
    I don’t recommend toasting pre-chopped nuts just because they don’t always cook evenly and could end up burned.

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This recipe also freezes well, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and it will keep for several months!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 46g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1050IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    This recipe was originally published March 18th 2019.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lindsay Greenwood

      March 18, 2020 at 8:10 am

      Hi Sam – can you freeze this?

      Thanks L

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        March 18, 2020 at 9:46 am

        Hi, Lindsay! Yes, you can freeze it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    2. Lindsay Greenwood

      March 18, 2020 at 8:08 am

      Hi Sam – This banana bread is amazing. I started on your banana muffins which my little one devours and now we make the bread and I think itโ€™s even better. We put it in a panini make for breakfast so itโ€™s warm and has those awesome lines down it.
      My question is – can you freeze leftovers if you are not getting through it so quickly one week?
      Thank you for giving us so much pleasure at home, especially now. Lx

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        March 18, 2020 at 9:49 am

        I am so glad that your family has enjoyed the bread, Lindsay. The good news is that it freezes nicely as well. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Fran

      February 22, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      Could you use sour cream instead of the buttermilk & if so how much?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        February 23, 2020 at 11:54 am

        Hi, Fran! I do not recommend it. Here is a link to my buttermilk substitute if needed. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    4. Fran

      February 22, 2020 at 11:32 am

      Could I use sour cream in place of the buttermilk & if so how much?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        February 23, 2020 at 11:21 am

        Hi, Fran! I have never substituted using sour cream so I am not certain how it will do. I do have a buttermilk substitute that you can use instead. I hope that you enjoy the banana bread. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Fran

          February 23, 2020 at 5:59 pm

          I have to tell you I did experiment using about a fourth cup sour cream & it turned out great. I added extra walnuts & chopped up Medjool dates, honestly itโ€™s the best Iโ€™ve ever made! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes, Iโ€™m anxious to keep trying more!!

        • Sugar Spun Run

          February 23, 2020 at 7:16 pm

          YES! That makes me so happy to know that it worked so well for you, Fran! Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am really glad that you enjoyed the banana bread. ๐Ÿ™‚

    5. Shannon Vandre

      January 29, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      What about adding black berrys?
      I have some beautiful blackberrys.
      Do you think it would be to much.

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 29, 2020 at 10:31 pm

        I think that would be a great addition, Shannon! I’d fold them into the batter at the end.

        Reply
    6. Francine

      January 26, 2020 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      I followed this recipe exactly except I used salted butter instead of unsalted. This is the best banana bread Iโ€™ve ever made. Itโ€™s delicious. So flavorful and very moist. I did have to bake it a bit longer than the time given, but that could have been because of my oven. This is now my go-to banana bread recipe!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        January 26, 2020 at 7:03 pm

        Thank you so much, Francine! I am so glad that you enjoyed the banana bread. You are correct! The bake time is an estimate, as everyone’s oven varies. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    7. Bridget

      January 18, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      5 stars
      The best banana bread recipe I have ever tried — and I have probably tried over a dozen different recipes in the last 30 years. I was hesitant to try yet another recipe, but the reviews convinced me otherwise. I followed the directions exactly as written, and did not change a thing. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2020 at 7:29 am

        I am so glad that you decided to give my recipe a try, Bridget, and I am so glad that it came out perfectly for you! Enjoy! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. Robert

      October 30, 2019 at 6:49 am

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! Yum.
      I had brown but no white sugar and used Splenda.
      It worked just fine.
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        October 30, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Thank you so much, Robert! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Banana Bread and that the substitutions worked well for you. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    9. Peg

      October 18, 2019 at 9:44 pm

      Hi Sam~all of your recipes have been great and will make this soon. I noticed in the muffin comments someone replaced the vanilla with rum. do you think a spiced rum would be too much? Thanks for your help and hard work!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        October 19, 2019 at 6:45 am

        Hello, Peg! I personally haven’t tried spiced rum, but I think it will be ok. It will alter the flavor slightly. I hope that you enjoy the Banana Bread. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    10. Oma K

      October 14, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      Positively the best banana bread recipe ever and I’ve been making banana bread for years. (I’m 85 years old) I now double the recipe.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        October 14, 2019 at 1:42 pm

        Thank you so very much, Oma! I am happy that you enjoy the banana bread recipe. I really appreciate your feedback. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    11. Paul E. Segner

      October 14, 2019 at 1:08 pm

      Dear Sam:

      Just an FYI regarding butter on you bread. Yes! Also Cream Cheese, The bread can also be toasted and eaten. Works well for French Toast just use the same egg batter you would normaly. I am much older and we used our Quick Breads all different ways.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        October 14, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        Thank you so much, Paul! I am so glad that you enjoy the banana bread and have found so many ways to enjoy it. Thanks for sharing and for your comment. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    12. Elsa V.

      September 19, 2019 at 11:20 am

      I have made this recipe twice this week and am here to attest that this is the best banana bread we have ever enjoyed! I am heading over to Pinterest to delete all the other recipes I have saved. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        September 19, 2019 at 11:31 am

        What a compliment! Thank you so much, Elsa! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Banana Bread. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    13. Brittini Smith

      May 31, 2019 at 12:52 am

      5 stars
      This is the best banana bread I have ever made or had! Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 31, 2019 at 2:08 pm

        I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Brittini! I appreciate it ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    14. Sonia

      May 29, 2019 at 10:25 pm

      5 stars
      Wow….can’t wait to taste, it’s in the oven but I’ve made probably 30 plus diff banana bread recipes and just by the way the ingredients came together (I also tasted it raw but don’t you do it) I could tell. I also made two, one with nuts and one with dark chic chips. I only use the very best ingredients and Organics!!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 29, 2019 at 10:26 pm

        I hope you love the banana bread Sonia! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    15. Kristina Eastburn

      May 17, 2019 at 6:14 pm

      I was to make this in a 9×13 cakepan….. what temp snd how long do you suggest?

      Reply
      • Sam

        May 19, 2019 at 8:05 pm

        Hi Kristina! The temperature would remain the same, but I haven’t tried this in a 9 x 13 so I’m not sure how it will turn out or how long to bake it.

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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