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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.
Happy to see the positive reviews. i wanted to try a new banana bread recipe. I have a few that I really love, but always like to try new recipes. I was surprised to see this didn’t have vanilla or brown sugar in it, so it’s my first time tying a banana bread without those ingredients. Will update after it bakes. The large variance on time is weird to me as is the low oven temperature.
i LOVE this recipe! it was so easy and fun to make and it was especially delicious with the addition of toasted walnuts and chocolate. i am definitely going to make this recipe again.
Love the recipe! Everyone at my house couldn’t get enough of my banana bread. Thank you!
Kudo,s My pregnant co-worker is craving banana bread. I made this for her. School was canceled today from flooding roads. Im looking at this banana loaf I made. I decided to try it! Delicious!! Now, on my day off Im making a second loaf. Thanks for sharing a quick and easy recipe!!
Lunch Lady
Smyrna, TN
This the best banana bread I have ever had. Very easy to make and everyone loved it. Thanks.
Sounds delicious, however I want to know if I can cut the sugar to 1/2 cup? Will it change recipe (other than sweetness)? Plan on making today if I can reduce the sugar. Oh, and will be adding some chopped dates left over from another recipe. Thanks!
That would be fine. I also have a “skinny” banana bread recipe on my site that is fantastic! It has just 5 tablespoon of sugar: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/skinny-banana-bread/
I made this with 1/2 c brown sugar (found out I had no white sugar as I originally thought), some chopped dates I needed to use up, and some walnuts I put in the mini chopper to grind up, then sprinkled on top before baking; they got toasted in oven and perfectly crunchy, stuck nicely to loaf after baking too. This bread was AMAZING. My search is now OVER for the perfect banana bread! Love love love the texture, not airy like sandwich bread, nor a dense brick either, which other recipes I’ve made turn out to be, it’s just right. I believe it’s due to several factors your recipe has that all others lack: more flour, lower bake temp, and added soda and baking powder *combined*. I’m deleting my other 3 recipes I’ve been using, yours is IT from now on. My subs were based on what I had on hand, not that I wanted to change this perfect recipe. Next time will bake as is, but with still 1/2 c white sugar, just a personal preference. Not sure if dates/walnuts/brown sugar added anything to the recipe, as it’s perfect as is, just didn’t want them to go to waste. Sadly, the loaf is now gone as we couldn’t help but just keep eating eating and eating, it was THAT GOOD! I’m off to the store to buy more bananas so I can bake again. Oh, I didn’t have a 9×5 pan, used 8×4, and it was fine, pretty much same bake time. Thanks very much for sharing the mother of ALL banana bread recipes. It is FANTASTIC and the BEST I’ve tasted. I’m also going to try your skinny loaf too, it looks great! Thank you also for your reply to my question.
I’m so thrilled to heat that! Thanks for coming back to share 🙂
I would disagree with that cook time. Mine only required about 25 mins in the oven
Really great! Left out one banana and added 3/4 cup blueberries and blackberries mixed. Also no cinnamon, but added 2 tsp vanilla. So far bext of 3 versions. Had to add more milk, maybe because bananas not ripe? Bakes in 55 minutes here at sea level (north Ca.). Shared with my sisters, they’ll try it soon.
Thanks
Love this easy recipe! I put peanut butter chips and brown sugar on top like a strusel of sorts but its amazing plain! Its my go to banana bread recipe!!
I made this with gluten free flour, an added teaspoon of ground cloves, and slightly green bannaners. Because the bananas are not so mushy i dug my clean hands in em and squished until moist. Cloves add depth and some extra aromatics. I greased the pan thickly, and the combination of the flour, the sugar, and the thick butter made the edges softly-chewy almost-caramelized. Yum. Had to bake for 1 hour and 20 mins.