Best Ever Basic Banana Bread

This basic banana bread recipe really is the best ever! All you need is a few basic ingredients, a whisk, a fork, and a bowl. I sometimes don’t even bother measuring, but it always turns out so good! I’ve been using this recipe for years now and it never failed. And my Instagram followers LOVE this recipe!

I uploaded my basic banana bread recipe when I started my blog, but since I usually make two breads at a time, the recipe is also for two. But many people requested me to make it a single bread recipe. So I thought maybe I’d write a different blog post for it. Plus I’ve made some changes to the recipe that would make it even easier to make.

And this time I made a video as well. 

Recipe Video

(please give it a few seconds to appear)

Some Tips and Tricks:

• When mashing bananas for bread, ensure they are mashed thoroughly to avoid sinking banana chunks that can make the bottom soggy.
• Use overripe bananas for their sweetness and better flavor.
• If melted butter is too hot, wait until it cools down before adding eggs. So eggs won’t curdle. 
• Brown sugar is preferred for a darker color and moister texture, though white sugar can be used as well.
• If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the batter; otherwise, you can skip adding salt.
• Do not open the oven door from time to time as this will drop the oven temp and, the bread can sink into the middle.

Banana Bread Variations:

Do not get me wrong, the flavor of this banana bread is the best ever and not basic at all. But you can use it as a base recipe and make so many variations of it. Here are some ideas.

1. Chocolate Banana bread: You can mix in a few chocolate chips to the batter. Or add a couple of tablespoons of chocolate powder along with all-purpose flour.
2. Nutella Banana bread: When you transfer the batter into the bread pan, Add 2 – 3 tbsp of Nutella on the top. And swirl the Nutella with the batter to get a nice swirly pattern.
3. Banana nut bread: Add ¼ cup of toasted chopped walnut to the batter and mix. Or add the nuts on the top before baking.
4. Cinnamon swirl banana bread: Mix 3 tbsp unsalted melted butter, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, 3 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp ground cinnamon and make it into a runny paste. And swirl this into the banana bread batter once it’s in the bread pan. When I make this, I usually reduce the amount of sugar I add to the batter. Otherwise, this could end up too sweet.

You can also other nuts, fruits, and flavors. The possibilities are endless.

Storing and Freezing

This banana bread lasts for about 3 – 4 days outside without any refrigeration. Make sure to store it in an air-tight container so it doesn’t dry out.  I’d say this tastes better the next day. 

When I make extra loaves, I store them in the freezer for about 3 months. I usually slice them before storing so I can just take a few slices out at a time. 

Print Recipe

Best Ever Basic Banana Bread

Author: Roshani Wickramasinghe Cooking Method: Baking Cuisine: United States Courses: Breakfast, Snack Recipe Keys: Dairy Nut Free Vegetarian Meals

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 45 mins Total Time 55 mins

Cooking Temp: 350  °F Servings: 8

Description

You can't go wrong with this super easy banana bread recipe. It's basically foolproof and always turns out so delicious!!

Ingredients

Servings

• 3 very ripe bananas
• ³⁄₄ cup dark brown sugar
• ²⁄₃ cup granulated white sugar
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup melted or softened butter (1 cup butter = 113g)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp baking soda
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F or 180C. Apply butter generously in a standard loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas well using a fork or a wooden spoon. It's okay to leave small chunks as they are going to mash once you mix in sugar.

3. Add brown sugar and white sugar and mix really well.

4. Add melted butter and mix really well until you don't see any butter floating on the top. 

5. Now add vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Whisk to combine.

6. Add the eggs and whisk until eggs are nicely mixed.

   Wait a few minutes if the mixture is hot before you add eggs. If the melted butter is hot, this might curdle the eggs.

7. Add flour and stir the mixture until you don't see any loose flour. 

   For best results you can sieve the all purpose flour and baking soda together.

8. Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter so the batter settles and if there are any large air bubbles, they'd escape too.

9. Bake in a properly preheated oven (350F/180C) for 45 -55 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the middle to check the doneness. If the toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached (and with no sticky batter), then the bread is baked. Otherwise, bake it for a few minutes more.

10. When the bread is baked, run a butter knife around the bread, and take it out of the pan. Cool on a cooling rack. See the description above for storing/freezing information.

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