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The best Banana Bread recipe is soft, moist, and turns out perfectly every single time! This is our go-to banana bread recipe we have made thousands of times!
Mom's traditional Banana Bread is always a winner.
Mom's traditional Banana Bread is always a winner.I'm sure everyone has that special Banana Bread recipe their mom made them as a kid, and this is mine. I have to be honest that I've since come to love our Healthy Banana Bread recipe even more, but if you're looking for a sweet, bakery-style banana bread, than this one is for you! I love how easy and quick it is to whip up, and I double the recipe to make two loaves because it always vanishes almost instantly.
And if you want an even healthier version, try my Protein Banana Bread.
How to make Banana Bread:
Make Batter: Mash three bananas in a bowl. Mix butter and sugar in a separate bowl, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing after each one then add mashed banana and milk. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl then add to the wet ingredients. Stir just until everything is combined.
Bake: Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (8.5×4.5). Bake at 350°F (160°C) for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Let cool then slice and enjoy!
Storing and Freezing Instructions:
To Store: This easy banana bread will stay good at room temperature for 3-5 days.
To Freeze: Let the loaf cool completely then transfer to an airtight container or freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw on the counter at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Variations:
- Healthy Banana Bread: Less sugar and butter and just over 100 calories per slice.
- Protein Banana Bread: 6 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fat per slice!
- Chocolate Banana Bread: For the chocaholic, a double chocolate version with chocolate chips! Truly a yummy dessert!
- Banana Bread Bars: Think banana bread but in brownie form! It also has a brown butter glaze that's to die for.
- Banana Bundt Cake with the tastiest cream cheese frosting.
More Quick Breads:
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Zucchini Bread
- Applesauce Bread
Banana Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar, (200g)
- 1/2 cup butter, (113g)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (250g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- Wet ingredients: Mix sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add mashed banana and milk and stir to combine.
- Dry Ingredients: In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Combine: Add to the wet ingredients and stir everything just until combined. Stir in nuts or chocolate, if desired.
- Bake: Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store leftover at room temperature or in the fridge, for 3-5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I first shared this recipe in June 2010. Updated January 2019 and March 2023 and March 2025.
Hi Lauren,
I have really ripe Frozen Bananas l will use for your Banana Bread, l have a few questions please
Do the Bananas need to be thawed first and come to room temperature before mashing?
Also there is always liquid from the thawing Bananas does the liquid need to be drained also?
Thanks 😊
Yes, I would thaw the bananas and discard the excess liquid.
By far the best banana bread recipe.
I’ve reduced the sugar to half (but used extra ripe bananas), skipped the cinnamon, and added 1 tsp vanilla extract and this was still an incredibly moist banan bread with less sugar.
Hi Ms Lauren:
In your bake goods recipes, are you using kosher salt or regular table salt? Your skinny banana bread is delicious. I wasn’t sure which salt to use. I kind of went in the middle. So I add 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt instead of doubling it to substitute for table salt.
Hi Laren
Can you please let me know when you are baking the Banana Bread do you put it on the lower rack or middle rack of the oven ?
Warm Thanks
Chris
I place mine on the middle rack.
One of the best banana bread recipe I’ve tried. Quick and easy with few ingredients, not complicated at all. Thanks for sharing!
A TEN (10) STAR FOR ME!!!
Love your recipes, l use your recipe for white bread and my family and friends love it . I would love to fix a carrot cake from scratch
Just used this recipe as first time banana bread maker and I feel like you should have mentioned the consistency of the mashed bananas somewhere on this page. Mine were very sticky and thick which made the batter VERY dry and thick after adding 2 cups of flour (think dough instead of batter). After looking at all the pictures on this post I saw your smashed bananas look almost runny. I’m assuming you added water?? I had to add a cup of water to this batter to make it anything remotely similar to the batter in your pictures. I definitely recommend giving more instructions on mashing the bananas because smooshing them with a fork alone was not giving me the same result and wasn’t very beginner friendly.
Hi Janelle,
I have a feeling your bananas weren’t ripe enough. If they’re still green, yellow, or just turning yellow, they’ll be super thick. I let mine get almost totally black. That makes them extra runny and adds so much flavor. Definitely try again! Good luck!
I’m this recipe today, so excited! I already tried the egg casserole one this morning with my husband and it was delicious 😋
Thank you!
delicious!!!
I’ve made this bread twice now, both times with chocolate chips. The smell while baking makes me so happy and the bread is delicious! Thank you for this reliable recipe.