Description
This easy banana bread recipe delivers a moist, flavorful loaf made with ripe bananas, melted butter, and a hint of vanilla. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, it’s simple to prepare and customizable with optional chocolate chips or nuts for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3–4 overripe bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (113 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sugar (white or brown)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Pan: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mash Bananas: In a large mixing bowl, mash the overripe bananas with a fork or potato masher until smooth and creamy.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add melted butter, sugar, beaten eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir thoroughly to combine all wet ingredients evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until well distributed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gently fold the dry mixture into the banana mixture, being careful not to overmix which can make the bread tough.
- Add Optional Mix-ins: If desired, fold in chocolate chips or chopped nuts gently to integrate them evenly throughout the batter.
- Transfer Batter to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top for even baking.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Rest in Pan: Let the bread cool in the pan for 12-15 minutes to let it set and firm up before removing.
- Cool Completely: Carefully remove the banana bread from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas with lots of brown spots for the best natural sweetness and flavor.
- You can substitute brown sugar for white sugar to add a richer, more caramel-like flavor.
- For a dairy-free version, replace butter with coconut oil or a plant-based margarine.
- Do not overmix the batter once the dry ingredients are added to avoid a dense loaf.
- Check the bread at 50 minutes to avoid overbaking; oven temperatures can vary.
- Store leftover banana bread wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Snack, Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12 of the loaf)
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: banana bread, easy banana bread, homemade banana bread, moist banana bread, banana bread recipe, quick bread
