I named this my Easy Banana Bread Recipe because if we could eat banana bread every morning we’d do it, and it truly comes together in about ten minutes using just a few basic ingredients.

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I’ve made dozens of banana breads and this is the one I keep making. It sounds dumb, but with just very ripe bananas and a couple of things you probably already have, it only takes ten minutes and then you forget about everything else.

I was sure it was hype, but after trying it on friends who usually dont care about banana bread, everyone asked for the recipe. There’s a small trick that gives a crisp top and a gooey middle, and adding chocolate chips or chopped walnuts makes it borderline addictive.

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients

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Bananas: Sweet, soft and packed with fiber and potassium, they make the loaf moist and sweet.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness and tender crumb, mostly fat, keeps bite soft and flavor rounded.
Brown sugar: Caramel notes and moisture, mostly sucrose and molasses, makes bread sweet and chewy.
Eggs: Bind ingredients add protein and lift, give structure and a little richness.
All purpose flour: Provides carbs and structure; proteins form the crumb, can be slightly dense.
Sour cream or yogurt: Optional tang, adds moisture and tender crumb, gives slight acidity and richness.
Walnuts or chocolate chips: Walnuts add crunch and some protein chocolate chips bring hits of sweetness.

Ingredient Quantities

3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper so the bread pulls out easy.

2. In a large bowl mash the 3 very ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth, leave a few small lumps for texture.

3. Melt 1/2 cup butter and let it cool a little, then stir in 3/4 cup packed brown sugar until mostly dissolved. Whisk in 2 room temperature eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, dont pour hot butter on the eggs or you’ll scramble them.

4. Add the mashed bananas to the wet mixture and stir. If using 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt, fold it in here to make the batter extra moist.

5. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt so there are no lumps.

6. Pour the dry stuff into the wet and fold gently with a spatula just until combined, dont overmix or the bread will get tough. If using 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips fold them in now.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and sprinkle a few extra chips or nuts on top if you want it to look pretty.

8. Bake 50 to 65 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs not raw batter. Start checking at 50 minutes, and if the top browns too fast cover loosely with foil.

9. Let the loaf cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment and cool on a rack. You can slice warm for a gooey piece or wait till it’s fully cool for neater slices.

10. Tips: use very spotty black bananas for best flavor, measure flour by spooning and leveling instead of scooping, room temp eggs and cooled melted butter help the batter mix evenly, and you can warm underbaked slices in the toaster for a minute for that fresh baked feeling.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 inch loaf pan (or line with parchment so the bread pulls out easy)
2. Large mixing bowl (for the mashed bananas and wet ingredients)
3. Small mixing bowl (for the flour, baking soda and salt)
4. Fork or potato masher (to mash the very ripe bananas)
5. Measuring cups and spoons (for flour, sugar, butter, etc)
6. Whisk (for eggs, sugar and to break up lumps in dry mix)
7. Rubber spatula (to fold batter and scrape the bowl)
8. Oven mitts (for safely handling the hot pan)
9. Cooling rack and a toothpick or skewer (rack to cool, toothpick to test doneness)

FAQ

Q: Can I swap the melted butter for oil? A: Yes. Use the same amount (about 1/2 cup) of vegetable, canola, or light olive oil. The loaf will be a touch moister but not as buttery tasting. You can also swap half the butter for applesauce if you want less fat.

Q: How ripe should the bananas be? A: The riper the better, dont be shy about brown or black skins. Theyre sweeter and mash easier. You want roughly 1 1/2 cups mashed from 3 very ripe bananas.

Q: Is the sour cream or yogurt necessary? A: No, its optional. It makes the bread extra tender and moist, but you can skip it and still be fine. If omitting, add 2 tablespoons milk or use one extra banana to keep moisture.

Q: How do I know when the bread is done? A: A toothpick in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs not wet batter, the top should be golden and spring back lightly when pressed. If using chocolate chips, they can make the center seem wetter so rely more on crumb testing.

Q: Can I add mix ins like nuts or chocolate chips? A: Absolutely. Fold in about 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chips. Toss them in a little flour first so they dont all sink to the bottom.

Q: Whats the best way to store or freeze it? A: Cool completely then wrap tight. At room temp it stays good 2 to 3 days, in the fridge up to a week. For longer keep, slice and freeze in airtight bags up to 3 months, thaw slices at room temp or warm briefly in the oven or microwave.

I’ve Made Dozens Of Banana Bread Recipes And This Is The Best One Substitutions and Variations

Unsalted butter (1/2 cup): swap for 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola or melted coconut), it keeps the crumb really tender and you won’t need to change bake time.
Light brown sugar (3/4 cup): use 3/4 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tbsp molasses (stir till even) — if you don’t have molasses try 3/4 cup coconut sugar for a slightly different caramel note.
Eggs (2): make 2 “flax eggs” for an egg-free version, mix 2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 6 tbsp water, wait 5 minutes till gelled, then use like eggs.
Sour cream/plain yogurt (1/2 cup): replace with 1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup applesauce for a dairy-free/moister loaf, applesauce will make it a touch denser.

Pro Tips

– Let the bananas be super ripe, even spotty black is good, they give the best flavor. If your bananas are barely ripe, you can roast them whole in the oven until soft to concentrate the sweetness, just mash while warm for an extra gooey crumb.

– Measure flour correctly, dont scoop from the bag. Spoon it into the cup and level, or better yet use a kitchen scale for consistent results so the loaf wont come out dense.

– Be gentle when you mix the batter, fold just until you cant see dry streaks. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the bread tough, and toss chocolate chips or nuts in a little flour first if you dont want them all sinking.

– Watch the top near the end of baking and tent with foil if it’s getting too brown, test with a toothpick for moist crumbs not wet batter, then cool in the pan a bit before removing. For best slices, let it cool most of the way; for warm gooey slices reheat briefly in a toaster oven or microwave.