Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those recipes that everyone needs to have in their back pocket. It’s great for breakfast, great as a snack, and pretty much great all the time. Not to mention banana bread is a great use for those horrifyingly black bananas on the counter that you swore you would eat. We have all been there. This recipe is incredibly easy so even if you already have a tried and true banana bread recipe, I suggest you give this one a try. 

I definitely also love banana bread loaded with ALL the mix-ins. Chocolate chips, peanut butter, I even once had a peanut butter Oreo banana bread that was phenomenal. But for this recipe I wanted to stick with the basics. Sometimes in recipe development it’s fun to perfect a classic recipe of your own. I wanted a banana bread that was moist but not oily, with a perfectly crunchy, sugary top. And I think I came up with just that.

Banana bread batter:

For ease of determining that you have the right amount of bananas for your banana bread, I included both an estimate on how many bananas it will take, and an actual measurement. You’ll need one and a half cups of smashed bananas. On this particular day that was 3 medium bananas for me. I mashed all 3 of them up and then measured afterwards. When it comes to bananas for banana bread, the browner the better. The darker the skins on your bananas are, the softer and sweeter the flesh is. If using frozen bananas you’ll want to let them thaw to room temperature before using them to bake.

Beyond the bananas you’ll need a few simple ingredients: eggs, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and buttermilk. Using a stand or hand mixer the butter and sugars get creamed together for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Next, add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add the mashed bananas to the butter mixture and fold to combine. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold just a time or two to incorporate slightly. Then pour the buttermilk over the top and gently fold until combined. As always, be careful not to over mix. 

Baking:

In this recipe we’ll be using a standard 9 in. X 5 in. loaf pan. I like to both grease the pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper for easy removal. Once your oven is preheated to 350 degrees and you have the oven rack adjusted in the middle position you are ready to roll. Pour your batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with a good handful of turbinado sugar for that extra crunch and sparkle. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A few crumbs is fine but the toothpick should not come out wet. If your banana bread is turning darker than you would like on top but still isn’t finished baking you can tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top for the remainder of the bake time. 

Banana Bread

Classic banana bread that is perfectly sweet, fluffy, moist and topped with turbinado sugar for just the right amount of crunch.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas, mashed about 3 medium bananas
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• turbinado sugar for topping

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350° and place oven rack in middle position. Prepare a 9 in. X 5 in. loaf pan by greasing with butter and lining with parchment paper for easy removal.
• Use a fork to mash ripe bananas until no large chunks remain.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine room temperature butter and both sugars. Cream together for 1-2 minutes on medium speed, scraping the bowl down occasionally. Add eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed for another minutes. Add the bananas to this mixture and fold to combine.
• In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and fold the mixture together 2-3 times. Pour the buttermilk over the top. Fold the mixture together to thoroughly combine, being careful not to over mix.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with a handful of turbinado sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan and setting on a wire rack to finish cooling. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Banana bread is best eaten within the first 2-3 days after baking. It can be eaten at room temperature or warmed back up. It can be frozen, either the entire loaf or in slices. If freezing wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe plastic zip up bag. 

Keyword banana, banana bread