Description
Moist Homemade Banana Bread is a comforting, soft, and flavorful treat made with ripe bananas and simple pantry ingredients. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, this easy recipe results in a tender crumb and a delicious balance of natural banana sweetness, vanilla, and cinnamon. Customize with nuts or chocolate chips for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3–4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free option)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup melted butter or oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Optional Add-ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- Pinch of nutmeg and ground ginger for spiced variation
- 1 tablespoon flax or chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water (vegan egg replacement)
Instructions
- Prepare the Bananas: Mash the ripe bananas in a bowl until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining; this helps keep the bread moist and flavorful.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with melted butter (or oil) and vanilla extract until well combined, then stir in the mashed bananas.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) in another bowl to ensure even distribution.
- Bring It All Together: Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture, being careful not to overmix—just stir until combined to keep the bread tender. Fold in any optional add-ins at this stage.
- Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Enjoy: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely; this resting time locks in moisture.
Notes
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the sweetest flavor and softest texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid tough bread; mix until ingredients are just combined.
- Check doneness starting at 50 minutes by inserting a toothpick near the center.
- Use room temperature eggs and butter for smooth batter.
- Optional moisture boosters like a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream can be added for extra tenderness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 1/10 of loaf)
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 50mg