Banana bread is a total classic! Super easy to make, this homemade sweet bread is flavorful. With a soft and tender crumb it is moist and delicious. Perfect served for breakfast, brunch, snack or treat, a slice of this easy banana bread will be loved by all!
Who doesn't love a nice thick slice of Banana Bread?! After much, much struggle, trial and error I have finally created the BEST Banana Bread recipe.
In need of a quick breakfast on the go? Pair a slice of this yummy banana bread with a favorite smoothie like our Orange Julius or Tropical Green smoothie for a well rounded and portable meal on the go!
Or maybe you are looking for a more savory brunch option? This sheet pan Breakfast Pizza never disappoints!
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Ingredients for Banana Bread
With simple, easy to use ingredients this is a recipe anyone can master! Do you have some over-ripe bananas? This is my favorite way to put them to use.
Grab your bananas and a few pantry staples and you will have a tasty treat in minutes!
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Eggs
- Butter
- Sour Cream
- Ripe Bananas
How to Make Banana Bread
Step 1 - Mix the Wet Ingredients
It is so important to get that oven pre-heating! Your oven needs to be hot before putting the bread. Because we only use baking soda in this recipe you've got one shot to get your bread to rise properly. A hot oven is key to make this happen.
So pre-heat that oven to 350° F and then get your wet ingredients ready to go. You will want to beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl.
Step 2 - Mash Bananas
Second we need to add our bananas to the wet mixture and get them mashed with a fork or potato masher. Mix till they are roughly combined. Next we will want to fold in our sour cream to the batter gently.
Step 3 - Add Dry Ingredients
Third, in a separate bowl we need to combine all the dry ingredients together. Then we will want to slowly add our dry mixture to the wet batter in stages. Gently mixing and folding it into the batter till there are no more dry patches.
We do want to be careful however, not to over-mix the batter or it will deactivate the baking soda and you will end up with a dense and rubbery loaf of bread.
Step 4 - Transfer to Pan
Fourth we want to be sure we grease the pan really good before we add the batter. I like to cut a piece of parchment paper to lay flat across the bottom of the pan for easier removal of the loaf when ready for it to cool. Add the batter to the loaf pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon topping.
Step 5 - Bake in the Oven
Place your loaf pan in the pre-heated oven. The bread will need to bake for about 50 minutes or until the top of the loaf is a nice golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 6 - Cool Bread
After you have removed the loaf of bread from the oven you want to let it cool for roughly 10 minutes. Then you will want to be sure to immediately remove the bread from the pan so the bread can continue to cool.
Let the loaf sit on a wire rack for an additional 10 minutes. This helps prevent the bottom of your loaf from becoming soggy.
Make it Your Own
One of the fun things about Banana Bread is that it is a great base for so many flavor additions! Pretty much anything that pairs well with bananas will work perfectly added in to Banana Bread.
If looking for ways to take your Banana Bread to the next level try one of these add-ins!
- Chocolate Chips
- Chopped Nuts
- Raisins or Dried Fruit
- Berries
- Peanut Butter
6 Mistakes when Making Banana Bread
Do I Have to Pre-Heat the Oven Before Baking Banana Bread?
Yes, yes and yes! Batter that uses only baking soda, might not work as well as a cake batter that has baking powder if you do not bake it right away. This is because baking soda is not double acting and it will start working as soon as it combines with a liquid.
So as soon as you combine those wet and dry ingredients your raising agent, the baking soda, is already going to work. This is exactly why the oven HAS TO BE hot and ready to go to ensure you are getting the rise out of your baking soda that you need for a nice fluffy loaf.
How Ripe Should Bananas be for baking?
For really flavorful banana bread you need your bananas to at least be generously covered with brown speckles. But the browner they are the better your flavor will be!
Sometimes if I have a real hankering for a slice of warm banana bread but no ripe bananas, I've been known to take matters into my own hands.
I share all about how to speed ripen bananas in another of my favorite banana recipes for Banana Cake.
Can I Use Too Many Bananas in Banana Bread?
Bananas contain a lot of moisture. So while you might have the urge to use more bananas than the recipe calls for you've got to be careful. Using more bananas will give the loaf more flavor, but it will also add extra moisture, which can be dangerous.
So if you are looking for more flavor in your loaf instead of using more bananas just be sure the bananas you do use are VERY ripe. When it comes to bananas the darker and the more spotted the better!
What consistency should Banana Bread be?
A good Banana Bread batter will be wet but thick enough that you need a second spoon to fully scrape the batter off the spoon. Batter consistency is important. If your batter is too thick your loaf will be dry and crumbly. If it is too thin your loaf will have a hard time rising and being fluffy.
If your batter is too thick you can thin it out by adding a tablespoon or two of milk or water. If the batter is too thin add a tablespoon of flour or two until it reaches the right consistency.
Can you over mix banana bread batter?
Yes! Yes you can absolutely over mix banana bread! Banana bread is suppose to be a tender and soft quick bread. Over mixing your batter will make your loaf chewy and dense.
After those wet and dry ingredients are combined, do not, I repeat - do not over mix your batter. Stirring your batter too much will cause your gluten to over develop and cause your baking soda to deactivate.
How Long Should Banana Bread Cool?
Cooling your loaf of bread properly is important. It will take roughly 20 minutes or so. Once you pull the loaf out of the oven it needs to rest for the first 10 minutes. This gives everything time to solidify.
For the last 10 minutes remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to cool on a wire rack. This will help ensure that the bottom of the loaf doesn't get soggy.
FAQs About Banana Bread
Should I use baking soda or baking powder?
Baking with baking soda can be a bit risky since it is only activates once. Where as baking powder activates twice - once when added to liquid and for a second time when heated in the oven.
Most people prefer to use baking powder because of this but because I use sour cream in this recipe, baking soda works great. You just want to be sure not to over mix the batter.
Pre-heat your oven while making the batter and immediately start baking your loaf once batter is mixed and poured into the pan.
Can I make muffins from banana bread batter?
You can definitely use your banana bread batter to make muffins if you prefer. To make the switch no changes need to be made to the ingredients. You do have to however adjust the baking time and temperature.
To turn a loaf recipe into a muffin recipe you will need to increase the oven temperature and decrease the baking time.
Can you Freeze Banana Bread?
After you have baked and cooled your loaves of bread you can absolutely freeze them to enjoy later. Banana bread will stay good in the freezer for three to four months. It honestly can be in the freezer longer than that but it will likely develop freezer burn if left in the freezer longer.
📖 Recipe
Banana Bread
A total classic and super easy to make, this homemade sweet bread is flavorful. With a soft and tender crumb it is moist and delicious. Perfect served for breakfast, brunch, snack or as a treat - a slice of this bread will be loved by all! Great way to use up over-ripe bananas!
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large bananas
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare your pan by greasing generously or lining with parchment paper. Pre-heat oven to 350° F. (It is important the oven is hot before putting the bread in so baking soda activates correctly.)
- In a bowl beat together butter, brown sugar, eggs, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
- Mash bananas with a fork or potato masher then add to batter and mix till roughly combined. Fold in sour cream to the batter.
- In a separate bowl combine all the dry ingredients.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Gently mix and fold the batter till no more dry patches can be seen. Be careful not to over mix the batter or you will deactivate the baking soda and have dense, rubbery bread.
- Add batter to your prepared pan. Sprinkle with the topping mixture of cinnamon and sugar.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and top is golden brown, about 50 minutes.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan and allow to cool for an additional 10 minutes on a wire rack. This will help prevent the bottom from becoming soggy.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 530mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 6g