Everyone loves warm moist Banana Bread. As it bakes and the smell of banana and butter waft through the house, it’ll be difficult to wait for it to finish baking before digging in.
» You might try this Classic Crepe Recipe and read about How Long Bananas Last? Extending Shelf-Life & More.
There’s nothing quite like eating banana bread that has just come out of the oven. This easy moist banana bread recipe has great banana flavor and makes a happy pick-me-up and a good afternoon snack.
I’ve made this recipe so many times. It’s very easy to make and it turns out great every time, even when I use a different pan, or add extras like chocolate chips or more bananas.
It is at its best just out of the oven, when it’s warm and aromatic. You definitely miss out on the full joy of banana bread if the bread isn’t warm, so be sure to warm it up for ten to twenty seconds before eating.
I know there are a lot of people who can’t eat eggs (myself included). If you’re one of them, you should try this eggless banana bread instead.
» You will love these Bananas Foster Pancakes.
Equipment Needed
This is a pretty simple recipe, so you won’t need a lot of equipment.
- Bread pans – This recipe makes two loaves, so you will want to have 2 pans, or you can bake one, then cool the pan before making the second.
- Mixing bowl – A large mixing bowl is needed to combine all the ingredients.
- Spatula – A good rubber spatula will help you incorporate all the ingredients.
» Check out these 28 Tasty Homemade Bread Recipes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter – Use unsalted butter and take it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you’ll use it to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs – At room temperature.
- Pure vanilla extract
- Flour – All purpose flour is what we use in this recipe.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sour cream – It adds moisture to the batter without thinning it down. It results in a tender bread with a fine crumb.
- Walnuts – Toasted and roughly chopped. The walnuts add a great crunch and nuttiness to this bread. You don’t have to add them, if you don’t like nuts. You can also replace them with pecans or hazelnuts, if you want.
- Bananas – Use over-ripe bananas. Ripe bananas mash better and add moisture. Additionally, ripe bananas have more sugar content and lead to a sweeter bread.
How to Make Banana Bread
Start by preheating the oven to 350° F (175° C). Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan by greasing and flouring it.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy scrapping the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated, then add the vanilla extract and mix well. Set the bowl aside.
In another mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt and stir together well. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture by hand with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix.
Fold in the sour cream, roughly chopped walnuts and mashed banana, being careful not to overmix. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly on top.
Bake at 350° F for 1 hour on the middle rack, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. It takes a bit longer than you might expect it to, because this bread is very dense. It takes at least 1 hour. Be sure to test it with a toothpick to make sure the center is done.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 25 minutes. You can then remove it and slice it up for eating. A nice warm slice with some butter on it is just perfect.
Can I Freeze Banana Bread?
Banana bread also makes a great freezer bread. You can leave it in the freeze for up to four months. Believe me, it’s such a treat to find a loaf of banana bread in the freezer. It feels like you’ve won the lottery!
To freeze it properly, you make the bread like normal and let it cool completely. When it’s cooled you can wrap it in tin foil and put it in an airtight container or bag. Be sure that no air is getting into the bag, or it will become freezer burned.
Additions to Banana Bread
One of the things that I love to add is roughly chopped walnuts. This gives a great texture to the bread, adding a pleasant crunch to an otherwise soft and moist treat. I recommend adding half a cup of walnuts to this recipe.
You can add the walnuts only to the batter or also onto the top of the bread, for extra crunch.
It is worth the extra effort to toast the walnuts in a skillet for a few minutes before chopping them and adding to the batter. This takes away the bitter taste to the nuts and gives them a toasty taste.
Chocolate chips are a wonderful addition to banana bread. Semi-sweet chocolate compliments the bananas nicely. Just add a 1/2 cup to your batter.
You can also add extra bits of banana to the batter, if you like chunks of banana in your bread. I’ve also added a lengthwise slice of banana to the top before baking. It makes a fun design on the top of the bread and the aroma is heavenly.
Tips for Making Banana Bread
The best tip I have for making banana bread is to use overripe bananas. Ripe bananas mash better and they also make for a more moist bread. Additionally, ripe bananas have more sugar content and lead to a sweeter bread.
It’s also a great way to get rid of bananas that you know nobody in the house is going to eat.
I rarely bother with a stand mixer when making banana bread. I tend to just make it quickly and easily by hand. However, creaming the softened butter and sugar together will make the banana bread lighter and more cake-like with a finer texture.
Using melted butter makes the bread denser and less crumbly. So if you want a lighter texture, it might be worth it to use a stand mixer or hand blender to cream the butter and sugar. Otherwise, using a whisk and a fork to mash the bananas is all the equipment you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
How over ripe should banana be for banana bread?
It’s a good idea to use bananas that the rind is mostly black or dark brown, not green or yellow. If you watch your bananas, they will turn from yellow to brown within 4-5 days at home. After they first turn brown you can still use them for up to 5 more days before they become a little too squishy and overly ripe. This is when they will start to develop a fermented taste and that’s too ripe.
Why is my banana bread greasy?
Your bananas might have been overly ripe, causing too much of a breakdown of the fruit. Or you may have added too much butter to the batter.
Why is my banana bread gooey on the inside?
This means that it hasn’t had enough time to bake. Notoriously, the top of the bread turns brown and golden long before the inside is actually baked. It takes quite a while – longer than you might think – to fully cook banana bread. The best way to prevent this is to check the inside doneness with a toothpick inserted into the middle. If it comes out clean and dry, it’s done in the middle. If not, leave it in for longer.
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Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 3 overripe bananas mashed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan by greasing and flouring it.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and stir together well before stirring it into the butter mixture by hand with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the sour cream, walnuts and banana, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour into the loaf pan and spread evenly on top.
- Bake at 350° F for 1 hour on the middle rack, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing.
Nutrition
Other Homemade Bread Recipes To Try
- The Best Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread with Walnuts
- Quick & Easy Instant Pot Corn Bread
Click for Even More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Jillian Morris is the resident baker for A Food Lover’s Kitchen. She started baking when she was very little and found she had a great passion for it. She is a high-schooler in a small town in Oregon, where she enjoys music, writing, and baking in her spare time.
That is such a moist and delicious looking banana bread. One can never have enough banana bread recipes. Thanks for sharing this easy one.
Nothing beats good homemade banana bread and this recipe makes delicious banana bread every single time!! Love it!
You are bringing back memories here. Thank you! When I was growing up we would toast a slice of leftover banana bread and put cream cheese on it.
An excellent recipe for a moist and delicious banana bread. Thanks for sharing!
This banana bread looks really fantastic. Moist and full of flavor. I never used sour cream in banana bread recipe. I must give your recipe a try.