I tried for years to perfect my banana bread recipe and this is it! Pure comfort food my family devours and asks for again and again!
My husband Mike loves banana bread. As in the moment he thinks the bananas are getting a little too ripe on the counter, he’s asking how long until I make bread with them. And I know people think pumpkin bread is only a fall thing, but it rivals banana bread at our house throughout the year.
Thank goodness for Mike our youngest has a habit begging for bananas at the store and then shunning them after eating 1 or 2. It keeps banana bread in our house almost all the time, and gives everyone a delicious snack!
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I’m not a nuts in my banana bread girl, and thankful Mike’s not into that either. I’m also kind of picky in that I don’t like those big ass chunks of banana were the bread didn’t really cook right and they float to the top and things get all weird.
That was my banana bread for years until this recipe came along. This bread is full of delicious banana flavor without any weird clumps, AND it bakes up beautifully every time.
If you like nuts in your banana bread, chuck ’em in. It’ll be just fine. But of us, a warm slice (sans nuts) slathered in butter will do just fine!
How to Make Banana Bread
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping the side of the bowl as needed.
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
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Add in the bananas and mix until combined.
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Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to spread to the into an even layer.
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Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I start checking my bread at the 1-hour mark, every 5 minutes.)
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Remove from the oven and let cool until cool enough to handle.
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Serve warm or room temperature. We like our bread plain or slathered in butter.
If you like nuts in your banana bread, you can stir in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped walnuts before pouring the batter into the loaf pan. Or pecans. Both are yummy.
How do you know when banana bread is done?
The first way to check is to see if the top center looks set (fully baked). If it does, insert a cake tester or a toothpick into the bread. When you pull out the toothpick it should be clean, or just have a couple of tiny crumbs on it. If there’s batter stuck to it at all, the bread it not done yet.
How do you keep banana bread moist?
- Use very ripe bananas, a 3-4 of them, and be sure to mash them up well so the get everywhere in the batter.
- Add extra dairy, like a 1/4 cup of sour cream. It moistens the bread and adds a great flavor!
- Try using oil instead of butter. The oil will emulsify and coat the flour to stop it from soaking up too much moisture.
Why is my banana bread dry?
There are a number of things that could cause your banana bread to come out dry. Baked goods are finicky.
- Any recipe will be affected by the climate in which you make it. Living in a dessert, some recipes come out a bit dry for me. Higher elevations will have issues with recipes rising sometimes. It’s okay to play with the recipe a bit to match your environment.
- It may be overcooked. If your bread cooks too long it will dry out.
- Does your recipe have enough et ingredients? This one does.
- Overmixing the batter as you add the dry ingredients can cause your bread to be dry. Mix until just combined or fold in with a spatula until just combined.
Is homemade banana bread healthy?
- It really depends on the ingredients you use.
You can make substitutions like whole wheat flour, coconut oil, low-fat milk, and honey or agave to healthify your banana bread recipe. But that’s another recipe for another blog.
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The Best Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 very ripe bananas peeled and well mashed with a fork
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix until smooth, scraping the side of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Add in the bananas and mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to spread to the into an even layer.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I start checking my bread at the 1 hour mark, every 5 minutes.)
- Remove from the oven and let cool until cool enough to handle.
- Serve warm or room temperature. We like our bread plain or slathered in butter.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Elisabeth Cascalheira says
I can’t wait to try it. I love banana bread. Perfect for morning breakfast on the go!