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
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
Lindsay Greenwood says
Hi Sam – can you freeze this?
Thanks L
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Lindsay! Yes, you can freeze it. 🙂
Lindsay Greenwood says
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 it’s even better. We put it in a panini make for breakfast so it’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
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that your family has enjoyed the bread, Lindsay. The good news is that it freezes nicely as well. 🙂
Fran says
Could you use sour cream instead of the buttermilk & if so how much?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Fran! I do not recommend it. Here is a link to my buttermilk substitute if needed. 🙂
Fran says
Could I use sour cream in place of the buttermilk & if so how much?
Sugar Spun Run says
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. 🙂
Fran says
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 it’s the best I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes, I’m anxious to keep trying more!!
Sugar Spun Run says
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. 🙂
Shannon Vandre says
What about adding black berrys?
I have some beautiful blackberrys.
Do you think it would be to much.
Sam says
I think that would be a great addition, Shannon! I’d fold them into the batter at the end.
Francine says
I followed this recipe exactly except I used salted butter instead of unsalted. This is the best banana bread I’ve ever made. It’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!
Sugar Spun Run says
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. 🙂
Bridget says
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.
Sugar Spun Run says
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! 🙂
Robert says
Excellent recipe! Yum.
I had brown but no white sugar and used Splenda.
It worked just fine.
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Robert! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Banana Bread and that the substitutions worked well for you. 🙂
Peg says
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!
Sugar Spun Run says
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. 🙂
Oma K says
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.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so very much, Oma! I am happy that you enjoy the banana bread recipe. I really appreciate your feedback. 🙂
Paul E. Segner says
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.
Sugar Spun Run says
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. 🙂
Elsa V. says
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!
Sugar Spun Run says
What a compliment! Thank you so much, Elsa! I am so glad that you enjoyed the Banana Bread. 🙂
Brittini Smith says
This is the best banana bread I have ever made or had! Thanks for sharing another amazing recipe!
Sam says
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Brittini! I appreciate it 🙂
Sonia says
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!!!
Sam says
I hope you love the banana bread Sonia! 🙂
Kristina Eastburn says
I was to make this in a 9×13 cakepan….. what temp snd how long do you suggest?
Sam says
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.