Can I use frozen bananas for banana bread?

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.

Why is my banana bread dense or gummy?

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.

Can I make banana bread without eggs?

Yes! For an egg-free version, you can use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons water per egg, let sit for 15 minutes). Or check out my Vegan Banana Bread recipe which uses flax eggs and oil.

Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?

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.

How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?

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!)

Name: Easy Banana Bread Recipe (One Bowl!)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Baked Good
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium bananas); 2 large eggs; ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 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: 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Easy Banana Bread Recipe (One Bowl!)

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This easy banana bread recipe makes the moistest, most flavorful loaf with just one bowl and common pantry ingredients: no mixer required!

Author: Sonja Overhiser
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

Scale

1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium bananas)
2 large eggs
½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 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: 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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 1/2 cup toasted pecans or toasted walnuts (I like walnuts best).

Banana blueberry bread: Toss 1 1/2 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.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/easy-banana-bread-recipe/