The Perfect Banana Bread

Easy, moist, perfect banana bread that is crisp on the outside and loaded with flavor. One bowl, no mixer required! Next time, try out my triple chocolate banana bread, cranberry pumpkin banana bread, paleo banana berry breakfast cookies.

I’m not a fan of bananas in general, but good lord do I love banana bread. There’s something about the aroma that is so calming and comforting. Does Yankee Candle make a banana bread scent? I’m going to look into that, ASAP.

I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time in the kitchen desperately trying to come up with the perfect banana bread recipe. After many, many iterations of this recipe, I finally found the perfect combination. It’s moist, but not heavy. It’s flavorful, but not loaded with sugar. The top has just the right amount of crunch and the whole thing smells amazing. 

Tips for making the perfect banana bread

• If you’re not a fan of small banana chunks in your bread, you can blend the bananas instead of just mashing them. But for banana-lovers, a good, old fashioned mashing is all it takes.
• I don’t add nuts to mine when I make it, but I know lots of people love the added crunch of walnuts. If you’re into that sort of thing, toss 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts into the batter, and maybe sprinkle some on top, too – you know, for good measure. 
• When I say that you need to coat the pan with nonstick spray (aff link), I mean it. Make sure you cover every inch to ensure your loaf comes out easily when it’s done.
• Don’t have buttermilk handy?  You can substitute 1/3 scant cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just stir the two to mix, and let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before using.

 

Look at that.

That crack down the middle of freshly baked bread is what I live for. It’s imperfectly perfect, and that’s exactly the way I like it. I know lots of people like to lie a thin slice of banana down the top, but I’m not about that life.

Can you freeze banana bread?

Yes! Make sure your loaf has cooled completely, and then wrap each the loaf tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and then put it in a large resealable bag and seal tightly. Place in your freezer for up to 2 months.

To defrost, remove the loaf from the plastic bag, unwrap, and let set on a wire rack (aff link) until it comes to room temperature (about 3 hours). 

After you’ve made this recipe, please leave a comment below with a rating – and if you came from Pinterest, add a photo of what you make to the pin to share your experience!

The Perfect Banana Bread

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★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: Leslie Kiszka
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf (8-10 slices) 1x

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Description

Easy, moist banana bread that is perfectly crisp on the outside. One bowl, no mixer required! Next time, try out my triple chocolate banana bread, cranberry pumpkin banana bread, paleo banana berry breakfast cookies.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil (can substitute greek yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and spray a 9×5 loaf pan (aff link) with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mash banana to remove as many of the lumps as possible. If desired, run through a food processor or blender (aff link) for a couple seconds.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and whisk until well combined.
4. Add brown sugar and whisk again until well combined.
5. Add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on rack in the lower third of the oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
7. Leaving loaf in the pan, place on wire rack (aff link) to cool for 15-20 minutes. Invert and carefully remove loaf and place back on wire rack to cool completely.
8. Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!

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Notes

• Don’t have buttermilk handy?  You can substitute 1/3 scant cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just stir the two to mix, and let sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before using.
• If you’re not a fan of small banana chunks in your bread, you can blend the bananas instead of just mashing them.
• For a crunch, add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts into the batter, and maybe sprinkle some on top, too.
• Make sure you cover every inch of your loaf pan with nonstick spray (aff link) to ensure your loaf comes out easily when it’s done.
• To make sure your banana bread doesn’t dry out, you should always wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, tin foil, or store it in an airtight container. Even better? Wrap it and stick it in a covered container.
• To freeze, wrap each completely cooled loaf tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and then put it in a large resealable bag and seal tightly. To defrost, remove the loaf from the plastic bag, unwrap, and let set on a wire rack (aff link) until it comes to room temperature (about 3 hours).

• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: banana bread, perfect banana bread

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