Everyone needs a go-to Easy Banana Bread recipe for using up those over-ripe bananas and this reliable recipe will never let you down. It takes minutes to prepare and is ready in under one hour!
I’m sure I can’t be alone when I say that I always have 3 or 4 overripe bananas sitting on my kitchen worktop.
We go through a lot of bananas as a family, but we always end up with a few that get to the black, spotty and mushy stage. No-one is ever interested in eating them!
That’s when this deliciously simple, classic banana bread recipe comes into play. It is the best banana bread I have ever made. And I have tried a lot of recipes.
I’ve posted lots of banana bakes before – I’m always trying to come up with new ways to use up over-ripe bananas. If you’re interested in more banana baking inspiration, I have lots of different recipes to try!
I have recipes for banana bundt cake, Banana Fudge Loaf, Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread and Chocolate Sour Cream Banana Cake.
Fancy making some muffins instead? Try these amazing banana and chocolate chip Nutella muffins!
Do you have an air fryer? If you do, then you might be interested in my easy air fryer banana bread recipe.
why you’ll love this easy banana bread recipe
- It’s incredibly simple to make – and you don’t need any special equipment.
- It’s pretty adaptable – while the bread is pretty amazing just as it is, you can jazz it up with whatever add-ins you like (see recipe notes below.)
- The smell of banana bread baking is heavenly – it never fails to make me ravenous.
- This recipe is honestly foolproof – it always turns out perfectly every time.
- It’s just so good plain as a quick snack, but I really love slices of this banana loaf spread with butter, or when I require a chocolate fix, Nutella or any other chocolate spread!
ingredient list
This is just a quick shopping list – please keep scrolling to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with detailed instructions!
- Melted butter. Using butter instead of oil adds a delicious flavour to the banana bread.
- Soft light Brown sugar adds a wonderful caramel flavour – you can use regular white sugar if you prefer, but the brown sugar really enhances the sweetness from the bananas.
- Two large Eggs, at room temperature.
- vanilla extract and bananas are perfect together! I always use pure extract, not essence for the best flavour.
- plain (all-purpose) flour
- baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
- fine salt – often overlooked in baking, but salt is such an important ingredient to enhance flavour.
- very ripe bananas – the riper the better! They may not look appealing for eating, but they will make the best banana bread.
tips for making the best banana bread
- You must use very ripe bananas. Mushy bananas with lots of black spots on the skin have the best flavour.Β
- If your bananas are too firm for baking banana bread, roast them! Simply place the whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake at 150C/130Fan/300F for about 20-30 minutes or until they are very soft and the skins have blackened. Allow to cool down, then peel and mash. They will now be perfect for baking.
- Using brown sugar instead of white sugar will add a gorgeous caramel note and gives the bread a gorgeous golden colour. It’s ok to use regular white sugar if you don’t have brown, but the banana bread will be paler.
- Don’t overmix the batter – just lightly stir until combined. If you beat the batter too much, the banana bread could end up rubbery and tough.
what size of loaf tin do i need?
You’ll need to use a 900g (2lb) loaf tin for this recipe. Make sure to line the base and sides of the loaf tin with baking parchment for easy removal once the bread is done.
how to tell when banana bread is ready
- Insert a skewer in the middle of the cake – if it emerges clean with no wet batter, the bread is done.
- Banana bread can tend to be a little tacky in the middle, so sometimes it can be hard to tell. If there are a few moist crumbs sticking to the skewer (but no uncooked batter) AND the cake springs back to the touch immediately when lightly pressed in the middle, it’s fully baked.
Variations
- For an American style banana nut bread, add 75g chopped walnuts or pecan nuts. This is my favourite – I often sneak in an extra few nuts because I love them!
- For chocolate chip banana bread, add 100g chocolate chips or chunks.
- Add a handful of raisins or sultanas for a fruity banana bread.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger for spiced banana bread.
make it dairy free
For dairy-free banana bread, replace the melted butter with the same amount of vegetable, sunflower or light olive oil.
how to store banana bread
Banana bread will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I wrap mine in baking paper, then foil to help keep it as fresh as possible.
Banana loaf is also delicious toasted for breakfast!
freezing
Once the banana bread has completely cooled, wrap the whole bread or slices in a couple of layers of cling film. Place in a freezer-suitable storage container and freeze for up to three months.
I like to freeze slices of the banana loaf – they don’t take very long to thaw at all – just a couple of hours at room temperature.
More recipes to use up over-ripe bananas
Did you make this quick and easy banana bread recipe?
I really hope you loved it! Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below – and rate the recipe out of five by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
Easy Banana Bread Recipe
If you're looking for a really easy banana bread recipe, look no further! This is a deliciously soft and moist banana bread that is delicious on its own or spread with butter. Leave it plain or add chopped nuts, chocolate chips or a handful of raisins.
Ingredients
- 100g (3.5oz/1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 170g (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) soft light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 200g (1 1/4 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) fine salt
- 3 large over ripe bananas, Mashed (Peeled weight 350g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900G (2lb) Loaf Tin with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter over a low heat in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool down. Place the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir to mix.
- Whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and cooled melted butter.
- Add the mashed bananas and stir in the dry ingredients. Stop when no flour streaks remain - don't overmix. If you're adding chopped nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit, fold them into the batter.
- Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the banana bread is well risen, golden and springs back when lightly pressed. All ovens vary, so it could take up to one hour to fully bake. If a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake emerges clean with no wet batter, it's done.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin before slicing.
Notes
Instead of plain (all purpose) flour, you can use self raising flour with 1 tsp baking powder and leave out the bicarbonate of soda
This Banana bread is delicious on its own or spread slices with butter, peanut butter or chocolate spread!
Banana loaf will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to three months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 287mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
Good timing Nicki, I have three very black bananas just crying out to be used in this recipe.
Very good timing! I hope you enjoy it ?
This recipe looks great and really easy.I would certainly love to try the recipe.This sounds gorgeous.
Thank you!
Thank you!
What are the amounts in US? (Cups). This looks really good.
Sorry Vickie, I haven’t converted the recipe to cup measurements yet but there are some conversion sites online if you want to give it a try!
This recipe sounds delicious. I’m looking for a simple, soft recipe to use my overly ripe bananas. I do plan to make this today. The only bummer? I have to look up how much 170 G is in cups, tablespoons, or whatever. Would be nice to have the different measurements already listed.
Hi Anne, thank you for your comment and I hope you enjoy the banana bread! I totally hear you about the cup measurements – I’m currently working on adding a conversion section to my site, but I’m discovering it’s a bit of a minefield! For instance, I have two sets of American style cups and they both measure slightly different amounts. This isn’t a big problem for cooking, but in baking a few grams more or less can make a huge difference. So it’s taking me a while but it should hopefully be ready by the end of the year… Read more »
This is my βgo toβ recipe for Banana Bread. Comes out fantastic every time.
I’m so pleased you like it Janice π
This is so delicious! Are there are variations using less sugar?
Hi Saba, You could try adding a little less sugar each time you make it – sometimes I cut the sugar by 25g at a time until I find the result I’m looking for. Happy baking!
I’ve just made this recipe and it came out brilliantly, thank you. I also added frozen blueberries which gives an extra level of moisture. Great recipe π
I’m so glad you liked it Lauren, thanks for trying the recipe!
The whole family and cousins really liked this banana bread! Thank you! It’s my new go to π
I’m really glad to hear you’re enjoying it! π
Loved this banana bread recipe!! We put raisins in ours. My 6 year old granddaughter loved making itπso easy to make.
Hi Mandy, I’m really pleased you’re enjoying the recipe. Thank you for letting me know π