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This easy banana bread recipe makes the moistest, most flavorful loaf with just one bowl and common pantry ingredients: no mixer required!
My family eats a lot of bananas, so often there are a few blackened ones lurking in my fruit bowl at that perfect stage of overripe sweetness. This easy banana bread recipe is the perfect recipe for those brown and black bananas, because it takes so little effort to make!
It requires no special ingredients and no mixer: you can make it with only one bowl. I’ve also devised lots of fun variations, so you can constantly reinvent it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve published quite a few banana bread recipes (here are my top 10 favorites). But this one is my favorite classic, basic method. Here’s why I love it:
- It’s so easy: No stand mixer, no fancy techniques: just a bowl and a wooden spoon.
- Delicious flavor: Melted butter gives you a rich, cake-like texture. The vanilla and cinnamon bring warm notes and the sweetness level is perfect.
- Easy to customize: Make the basic recipe, or mix it up with brown butter, chocolate chips or a glaze.
How to Make Easy Banana Bread
This banana bread recipe is very simple. Here’s an outline of the basic steps (or jump to the recipe):
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper that extends up two sides. This makes it easy to lift the loaf out of the pan.
- Start by mashing the bananas right in my mixing bowl, whisk in the eggs, then stir in the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Stir in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon). Be careful not to overmix, which can cause holes in the crumb.
- Bake the bread for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top springs back when touched and the interior temperature is 200F.
Butter vs. Oil in Banana Bread
This recipe calls for melted butter, but you can substitute a neutral oil if you prefer. Oil makes the bread even moister and gives it a slightly spongier texture. I like using butter because it has a richer flavor, but oil works especially when I want a dairy-free bread.
If you’re using butter, you can also make brown butter banana bread, which is extra delicious! Making browned butter by cooking the butter a few minutes until it turns golden brown adds nutty caramel notes to make this recipe extra delicious.
Pan Size and Baking Time
This recipe works in both a 9 x 5″ and 8 x 4″ loaf pan. If you’re using the 8 x 4″ size, you may need to add a few minutes to the bake time.
The bread is done when the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Ways to Customize Your Banana Bread
This basic recipe is very versatile. I love adding toasted pecans or toasted walnuts for banana nut bread. You can also add chocolate chips into the batter, plus a few more sprinkled on top before baking.
For a fruity version, try adding blueberries like in my Blueberry Banana Bread. Toss 1½ cups of berries with a tablespoon of flour first to prevent them from sinking. Or check out my other variations:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for the chocolate lovers
- Sour Cream Banana Bread for extra richness
- Gluten Free Banana Bread for gluten-free diets
- Vegan Banana Bread for egg-free and dairy-free diets
You can also add a cinnamon sugar topping: mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter before baking. You can also drizzle the bread (after cooling it) with my Vanilla Glaze, Maple Glaze, or the salted caramel glaze from my Brown Butter Banana Bread.
Serving Suggestions
This easy banana bread served warm with a slather of softened butter or peanut butter is perfection. For breakfast, I love pairing it with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. Or it’s a great afternoon snack with a latte or cappuccino.
For a decadent brunch, try making Banana Bread French Toast. Or serve slices warm with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of salted caramel, and chopped pecans for a fun dessert.
How to Store Banana Bread
Banana bread stays fresh for about 5 days at room temperature when wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. I sometimes refrigerate it, which extends the life to about 10 days, though the texture becomes slightly denser.
For longer storage, I slice the cooled bread, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then store them in a freezer bag. Frozen banana bread lasts up to 3 months. You can toast slices straight from frozen for a quick breakfast, or let them thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Dietary Notes
This easy banana bread recipe is vegetarian. For gluten free, go to Gluten Free Banana Bread. For vegan, go to Vegan Banana Bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can! Peel and slice them before freezing, then thaw them completely before using. They’ll release quite a bit of liquid when they thaw, so make sure to include that liquid in your batter since it’s concentrated banana flavor.
Usually this is due to overmixing the batter. Once you add the flour, stir just until you don’t see any dry streaks: a few small lumps are fine. Overmixing develops too much gluten, which makes the bread tough and dense.
Also make sure you’re weighing your flour in grams or spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off, rather than scooping directly from the bag — this can pack in too much flour.
Yes! For an egg-free version, you can use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2 ½ tablespoons water per egg, let sit for 15 minutes). Or check out my Vegan Banana Bread recipe which uses flax eggs and oil.
This has happened to me: it signifies underbaking. The bread wasn’t fully baked through, even if the top looked done.
Honestly to me, gently pressing the center is the easiest way to tell: it should spring back (not the toothpick test). If you’re at high altitude or using a very ripe banana mixture that’s extra moist, you might need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time. Another cause can be opening the oven door too early, which lets out heat and can cause the center to collapse.
The riper, the better! The peels should be heavily spotted with black or even completely black. This gives you maximum sweetness and that intense banana flavor.
If your bananas aren’t ripe enough, you can speed up the process by placing them in a paper bag for a day or two.
Easy Banana Bread Recipe (One Bowl!)
This easy banana bread recipe makes the moistest, most flavorful loaf with just one bowl and common pantry ingredients: no mixer required!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Baked Good
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium bananas)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or ½ cup neutral oil; see Notes)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (see Notes), plus more for topping
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
- Optional: ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips or ½ cup chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 5″ loaf pan (or 8 x 4″; see Notes). Line the pan with a piece of parchment paper, cut so that it extends on two sides to easily remove the bread from the pan.
- Mash the bananas in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Switch to a spatula and stir in the melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Sprinkle in the flour and gently stir until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. (If using chocolate chips or nuts, gently fold them in.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. (If using chocolate chips or nuts, sprinkle a few more on top.) Bake 55 to 60 minutes*, until the top is set and springs back when touched, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with a few clinging crumbs (or the internal temperature is 200°F).
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Storage info: The bread lasts 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into pieces and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).
Notes
8 x 4″ pan: Bake the bread slightly longer, about 5 to 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 200°F.
Brown butter banana bread: Instead of melting the butter, brown the butter and then cool it in the freezer for 15 minutes before using in the bread.
Banana nut bread: Fold in ½ cup toasted pecans or toasted walnuts (I like walnuts best).
Banana blueberry bread: Toss 1 ½ cup washed and dried blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour (to prevent sinking) and fold into the batter.
Glaze: Try topping the bread with maple glaze, vanilla glaze, or the salted caramel glaze from my brown butter banana bread.
