The beauty of this banana bread recipe is you don’t need a fancy mixer! A mixing bowl, a fork to whisk the eggs, and a sturdy spoon to mix the batter are all you need.
The sugar amount is flexible. The original recipe called for a cup of white sugar, but most people, including me, do just fine with 3/4 cup, and many are happy with 1/2 cup.
You can toss in a cup of chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if you want, or put the batter into muffin tins and make banana nut muffins-instead.
You can even go a step further and make chocolate banana bread.
PREP TIME10 mins
COOK TIME60 mins
TOTAL TIME70 mins
SERVINGS8 to 10 servings
YIELD1 loaf
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 medium (7″ to 7-7/8″ long) very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
- 1/3 cup (76g) butter, unsalted or salted, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder)
- 1 pinch salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (205g) all-purpose flour
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C): Butter an 8×4-inch loaf pan.
- Mash the bananas and add the butter: In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
- Mix in the remaining ingredients: Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
- Bake the bread: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes at 350°F (175°C), or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. A few dry crumbs are okay; streaks of wet batter are not. If the outside of the loaf is browned but the center is still wet, loosely tent the loaf with foil and continue baking until the loaf is fully baked.
- Cool and serve: Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren’t crumbly.)Wrapped well, the banana bread will keep at room temperature for 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf up to 5 days, or freeze it.
Notes
No need for a mixer for this recipe! Clean-up is easy, too. If you want, you can mix everything in one bowl.
This recipe calls for an 8×4-inch loaf pan. If you are baking in an 8 1/2×4 1/2-inch pan, bake for 47 to 57 minutes. If baking in a 9×5-inch pan, bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Note that the larger pan size will produce a flatter loaf.
The best bananas to use for banana bread are those that are overripe. The yellow peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside squishy and browning.
| NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING) | |
|---|---|
| 220 | CALORIES |
| 7g | FAT |
| 37g | CARBS |
| 3g | PROTEIN |