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.
How do you keep banana bread moist?
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.
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!
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The Perfect Banana Bread
- 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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Pin RecipeDescription
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.
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and spray a 9×5 loaf pan (aff link) with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- 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.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Add brown sugar and whisk again until well combined.
- Add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until just combined.
- 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.
- 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.
- Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!
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
Lisa says
This recipe is named correctly!
I have made this banana bread several times and it has been perfect every time and I make it GLUTEN FREE.
For the flour I have used Bob’s Redmill gluten free cup for cup or King Arthur Flour measure for measure. I never have buttermilk so I use the substitution and I have used canola oil not yogurt. Key for me for this recipe is use 3 bananas. Otherwise, it’s perfect (probably because of the GF flour). I have tried so many recipes and this one I keep going back to. This one time, I was a little “extra” and I put a streussel topping on it… amazing!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it – thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating!
Janice Verzosa says
Excited to make this recipe… From Phillipines️
★★★★★
Nangira says
My nephew who isn’t a fan of cakes really enjoyed this. I am always ready to munch on banana bread so I most definitely enjoyed it.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it – thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating!
Justin says
Out of the few online banana bread recipes I have tried, this has been one of the best! Mine only took about 45 minutes in my oven, but came out perfect! Will defintely be experimenting in the future to see what else I can add into it like chocolate chips, nuts, etc.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it – thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating!
Eve says
I used almond milk instead of butter milk. Added raisins, coconut, and a little khalua and I couldn’t keep away lol! Love this recipe!!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
That sounds amazing! Thank you for coming back to share your experience and leave a rating, I really appreciate it!
Ana says
Hi, is there a way to substitute the butter milk for 2%? Or yogurt?
Thanks!
Leslie Kiszka says
Definitely, it just may result in a slightly different texture and flavor than the recipe as written. You can substitute 1:1 for 2% milk.
Mary Brandt says
So delicious and easy! Just make sure the bananas are suuuuupeer ripe for the sweetness to come through!
★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
So glad you liked it – thank you so much for leaving a comment and rating!
Brittany says
Soooo good! My family loved it.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so glad! Thanks so much for leaving a comment and rating to share the love <3
Kim Shell says
Love this banana bread! Super moist and light and makes a nice high loaf! I usually make a family recipe for banana bread but not anymore! This is my new banana bread recipe!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
Yay! Thank you so much for your feedback and rating!
Ashna Torvend says
I love this recipe. I substituted apple sauce for eggs and added a tsp of nutmeg.
It came out really nice.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
So glad you liked it – thank you for coming back to leave a comment and rating, it’s greatly appreciated!
Pauline Hill says
I made it today. Everyone loved it. I used 10 lbs of banana’s. I bake lots of goodies for mykidd and grandkids for Christmas. Usually its just pumpkin bread but I thought I’d add this this year. All ng with my variety of cookied and candies, this will be perfect. Thank you so much.
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so glad – you’re such a good family member! 🙂 Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and a rating, I greatly appreciate it.
Tami says
I made this using non-fat greek yogurt instead of the oil. I have to say, this is my first banana bread that came out moist! Crunchy on the outside & moist inside!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and a rating, I really appreciate it!
Jenny says
Hi! I want to make this recipe for Christmas (due to trying it and it was amazing), but I am trying to figure out if I could freeze the recipe? I have to make about 5 batches!
Please let me know!
Thanks 🙂
Jenny
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
Thank you for stopping by to leave a comment and a rating, I’m so glad you like it! To freeze each loaf, I would wrap it tightly in a couple layers of plastic wrap and then put it in a large resealable bag and seal tightly. I’m glad you asked, and I’m going to add a note to the recipe card about freezing.
Linds says
I love banana bread and this tasted just like what my mother used to make but I never knew her recipe. Thanks!
★★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
So glad you liked it – thanks for stopping by to leave your feedback and a rating!
Yasmin says
This smelled and tasted amazing! My only problem with this recipe was the consistency was a lot spongier than I like and have had with other recipes. Overall, I would definitely recommend if you like bouncier, spongier breads.
★★★★
Leslie Kiszka says
That’s my personal preference since it feels a little less dense and heavy than some other banana breads. I’m glad you still liked it!