Bake the Number-One Banana Bread Recipe on the Internet (2024)

  • Easy Breakfast
  • Quick Bread
  • Easy Snacks and Appetizers
  • Baking
  • Bread

Put those ripe bananas to use in this moist, delicious banana bread and you'll learn why it's the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes.

By

Elise Bauer

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Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

Learn about Simply Recipes'Editorial Process

Updated November 07, 2023

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2484 ratings

This banana bread has been the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes for over 10 years. Thousands of people make it every day. Why?

Because it really is the best banana bread recipe, period. You can mix everything in one bowl, you can vary the amount of sugar or bananas. And the secret to its great flavor? Melted butter.

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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.

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I was given this banana bread recipe years ago from my friend Heidi H, who, many years before, had begged the recipe from a ski buddy’s mother—Mrs. Hockmeyer. Thanks Heidi!

The Backstory on the #1 Banana Bread Recipe

All these years later, we were curious to know more about who Mrs. Hockmeyer is, and how Heidi got her recipe in the first place. You can read all about it in this story.

The Best Loaf Pan for This Recipe

This recipe calls for an 8x4-inch loaf pan, which produces a tall loaf. The recipe will also work in an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch loaf pan, producing a slightly shorter bread. Since the pan is a bit larger, the bake time is shorter: 47 to 57 minutes. A 9x5-inch pan will yield an especially short but still delicious bread; bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

How Our Readers Adapt This Banana Bread Recipe

  • Natalie: "I added a drizzle of maple syrup on top, plus some blueberries. I also switched out the flour for 1 cup of almond meal and 1 cup of gluten-free flour."
  • Roberta: "Added mini chocolate chips in batter and topped with crumb topping. Excellent!"
  • Eleanor: "I was out of eggs, so I substituted with a flax egg and it turned out perfectly! A tablespoon of flaxseed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water and let rest for 5-10 minutes in place of the egg."
  • Monica: "The BEST banana bread recipe there is. I sprinkle demerara sugar on top before baking and it gives it a delicious crunch!"
  • Lisa: "I’ve been making this loaf for years. I always add a tablespoon or two of molasses, which gives a punchier flavor and darker color. I make it with chocolate chips for the kids and with cranberries and pecans for the adults."
  • LeRoy: "My wife, Mary created "Elvis Bread" and added half a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips."
  • Marione: "THE BEST banana bread I’ve made. I added pineapple tidbits and substituted part of white sugar with brown sugar."
4 Best Mix-Ins for Banana BreadREAD MORE:

More Banana Bread Recipes!

  • Vegan Banana Bread
  • Cream Cheese Banana Bread
  • Gluten-Free Banana Bread
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
  • Rum Raisin Banana Bread

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Banana Bread

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time60 mins

Total Time70 mins

Servings8to 10 servings

Yield1 loaf

No need for a mixer forthis recipe! Clean-up is easy, too. If you want, you can mix everything in one bowl.

This recipe calls for an 8x4-inch loaf pan. If you are baking in an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch pan, bake for 47 to 57 minutes. If baking in a 9x5-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 peelsshould be at least half browned, and the bananas inside squishy and browning.

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) veryripe 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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C):

    Butter an 8x4-inch loaf pan.

  2. 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.

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    Bake the Number-One Banana Bread Recipe on the Internet (6)

  3. 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.

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  4. Bake the bread:

    Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.

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    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.

  5. 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, thebananabreadwill keep at room temperature for 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the loaf up to 5 days, or freeze it.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
220Calories
7g Fat
37g Carbs
3g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8to 10
Amount per serving
Calories220
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g9%
Saturated Fat 4g20%
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 85mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 37g14%
Dietary Fiber 1g5%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 3mg15%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 156mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Bake the Number-One Banana Bread Recipe on the Internet (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for banana bread? ›

Mix in a bowl 3 ripe bananas, well mashed, and 2 eggs, beaten until light. Sift together 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Add to the first mixture. Add 1/2 cup nut meats, chopped.

Why are older bananas better for banana bread? ›

Ripe bananas are not only softer and easier to mash and blend into a batter, but they are also sweeter, which is why baking recipes specifically call for ripe bananas in ingredient lists. As the bananas ripen, the fruit converts starches to sugars, making them sweeter and more flavorful.

Why baking soda in banana bread? ›

Baking powder and baking soda both produce carbon dioxide, which helps raise or "leaven" baked products. Baking soda works best in conjunction with an acidic ingredient. In the case of banana bread, this may be buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses or the bananas themselves.

How many bananas is 2 cups? ›

2 bananas: 1-1/3 cups chopped | 1 cup mashed. 3 bananas: 2 cups chopped | 1-1/2 cups mashed. 4 bananas: 2-2/3 cups chopped | 2 cups mashed.

Is baking soda or powder better for banana bread? ›

If you are using regular milk, you would normally use baking powder. Banana bread normally calls for sour milk, sour cream or buttermilk; all of these are acidic, so in this case what you need is baking soda.

What does too much flour do to banana bread? ›

If you use too much flour, you'll end up with really dry banana bread, and If you don't use enough flour, your banana bread will be way too wet. The secret lies in how you measure the flour. The scoop out of the bag method could be packing way too much flour.

At what point are bananas too bad for banana bread? ›

In my experience, using bananas with a dark brown or even black peel for banana bread is ideal, as long as the inside isn't rotten. Key takeaway: As long as your bananas aren't starting to get moldy, infested with fruit flies or beginning to rot they aren't too ripe for baking banana bread.

How ripe should a banana be for banana bread? ›

Let the bananas ripen (and overripen) at room temperature. Depending on the weather, this could take a few days, or up to a week. The best bananas for banana bread aren't yellow; they're black. Or they're at least streaked with black/brown, with just the barest hint of green at the stem.

Can you use really bad bananas for banana bread? ›

Bananas can go from yellow with brown spots to totally black and still be okay to eat and use for baking. In fact, black bananas are some of the best for making banana bread because they have developed more sugar as they sit around and therefore taste sweeter. They may also be moister, which is perfect for baked goods.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in banana bread? ›

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.)

Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose for banana bread? ›

However, if you've already started whipping up a batch of your favorite whole wheat banana bread and suddenly realize you're out of all purpose flour, using bread flour in its place will work as a suitable replacement!

Why did my banana bread turn green? ›

In much smaller quantities, the baking soda still has a chemical reaction with acid. Low and behold the acidic component is in bananas, so any excess baking soda that doesn't help the banana bread rise will react, hence green or blue banana bread slices the next day.

What fruit can replace a banana? ›

AVOCADO. Like bananas, avocados add a creamy or velvety texture to smoothies. They also have a mild taste that can easily be covered up. Avocados work best in smoothies with greens, like kale and spinach, berries and chocolate.

Is 1 banana equal to 1 cup? ›

A large banana (counts as 1 cup of fruit). A small orange (counts as ½ cup of fruit). Put different types of fruits on your shopping list.

Can you substitute applesauce for bananas in baking? ›

Applesauce (store-bought or homemade) can substitute for a banana in baked goods. Replace one banana with 1/2 cup of applesauce, but don't use more than 1 cup of applesauce because the mixture will be too wet. Egg whites (or a whole egg) can also substitute for a banana in some baked goods.

What is the formula for bread? ›

The Baker's Formula (for basic breads) can also be weighed:
Flour100%500 g
Water60%300 g
Yeast (Fresh)3-4%15-20 g
Salt2%10 g

What is the standard bread formula? ›

Method. Mix 500g strong white flour, 2 tsp salt and a 7g sachet of fast-action yeast in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add 3 tbsp olive oil and 300ml water, and mix well. If the dough seems a little stiff, add another 1-2 tbsp water and mix well.

How do you mix banana and formula? ›

Pour cold water into blender. Add formula powder (using 1 1/2 times as much formula as is normal will both provide extra nutrition and help thicken the"smoothie"). Place lid on blender and blend until mixed. Add fresh banana and blend until smooth.

What is banana bread made of? ›

Ingredients for Banana Bread:

This is everything you need to make the best banana bread: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla extract, softened butter, eggs and of course very ripe bananas. Adding walnuts and raisins is optional but adds great taste and texture, turning it into a banana nut bread.

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