Easy Banana Bread

This Easy Banana Bread recipe has been my go-to for decades. It truly is a no fail recipe; simple and delicious. No mixer needed for this fabulous, moist bread!

Banana bread is one of my favorite recipes to make when I have a sweet tooth. I’ve been making this recipe for decades when I need to use up some over-ripe bananas. It literally is one of the easiest things to make. No mixer needed, you can whisk everything in a bowl, so less cleaning required. The most important advantage is that this bread is just so delicious and moist, everyone loves it!

Somehow it always seems to happen that whenever we buy a bunch of bananas we never eat them all before they get too ripe. There are always plenty left over! This is probably one of the first recipes I ever learned how to make as a kid because it is just so easy.

What Ingredients Are in Banana Bread

You’ll want to make sure your bananas are as ripe as possible. The browner the better! That’s how you’ll get that gorgeous color throughout the loaf. While everyone has their own interpretation of banana bread, I have a few secrets up my sleeve.

I use both white and brown sugar to get a nice sweet caramelized flavor, both baking soda and powder to ensure a light, fluffy loaf, a touch of cinnamon, and my most important secret: sour cream. This gives your loaf an undeniable richness and slices that won’t dry out.

This recipe also doesn’t require any nuts, so if you have a nut allergy this banana bread is perfect for you.

How to Quickly Ripen Bananas

There are two great methods that you can use if you’re craving banana bread, but your bananas just aren’t quite ready. You can:

1. Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake them at 250 F for 10-20 minutes. This will depend on how ripe your bananas are to start out with. Keep an eye on them and add time as you see fit.
2. If you are okay with waiting an extra day, place your bananas in a paper bag and fold the top to seal off the outside air. This leaves them in a bag full of their own ethylene, which is what causes them to ripen. Adding an apple, fig, or pear to the bag will help them ripen up a bit more.

Other Ingredients You Can Add

Now it’s your opportunity to customize this heavenly bread! I love to mix some chocolate chips and chopped pecans in my banana bread. You can add any nuts you like to this. I find the softer nuts, like pecans and walnuts, work best for this tender banana bread recipe. Dried fruits like raisins or cranberries are also fantastic additions!

You can also add a few dollops of melted chocolate or peanut butter in the middle of the loaf and swirl with a skewer to create a beautiful and delicious filling for your bread.

What Tools You Need

This recipe is so fast to throw together, and is also a great opportunity to introduce kids to the baking world.

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Large mixing bowl
• Fork/ masher
• Large whisk
• Spatula
• Loaf tin
• Cooling rack

How to Make Banana Bread

There are only three steps for this recipe!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
3. Slice, butter, and eat!

How Long to Bake

Every oven is different, so don’t worry if your bread isn’t ready after 45 minutes. Have a couple clean toothpicks ready to go, and test your bread by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the loaf. If it comes out with some batter, add an extra 5-10 minutes at a time until the toothpick comes out clean.

Tips And Tricks

• Let your bananas get nice and ripe for this bread. The more ripe they get, the better both the flavor and color of your bread will be. Don’t fear a brown banana!
• When you mash the bananas, let them stay a little chunky. Those bits of warm soft banana are the best bites.
• You won’t taste the sour cream in this bread- it gives it a tiny bit of tanginess and so much moisture. You can replace this ingredient with plain greek yogurt, if you prefer.
• Don’t over-mix! Once everything is evenly incorporated, the batter is ready to go.
• Be generous with the cooking spray in your loaf tin, especially in the corners.
• Use a cooling rack once the bread is done baking to avoid the exterior from becoming too dark.

Leftovers

Wrap this bread tightly with plastic wrap or you can store it in an airtight container. It will last on your counter for 3 days, or in the fridge for about one week. I love to microwave my slices of banana bread for 20-30 seconds to let it soften up, especially if it’s been in the fridge.

Freezing

You can absolutely freeze banana bread. Freeze the whole loaf or individual slices. It will last in the freezer for 3 to 4 months!

Wrap the loaf or the individual slices extremely well with plastic wrap, even if they’re being stored in an airtight container. The bread will give off some moisture which can cause freezer-burn without the plastic wrap. Let it thaw completely at room temperature.

More Great Recipes To Try:

• Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
• Easy Banana Nut Bread
• Banana Blueberry Bread
• Banana Bread French Toast with Caramelized Bananas
• The Perfect Banana Muffin
• Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread
• Banana Nut Muffins