Best-Ever Banana Bread
There is a bowl on my kitchen counter right now with three blackening bananas in it, and I am not one bit sorry about it. Black bananas mean banana bread is coming, and in this house that is a cause for celebration. My mother made banana bread going back to the sixties — she'd save every soft, spotted banana in a bag in the freezer until she had enough to bake. I still do the same thing. There's something deeply satisfying about turning something that looks past its prime into the most wonderful thing to come out of your oven on a Tuesday afternoon. This recipe is straight from her handwritten recipe card, with just a few little tweaks from me over the years. 💛
The key to the best banana bread is using bananas that are properly, deeply overripe — almost entirely black on the outside. They're sweeter, softer, and pack so much more flavor than a yellow banana. I also melt the butter rather than creaming it, which gives you a wonderfully tender, moist crumb. If you love quick breads and cozy baking, you might want to check out my Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls next — a little more effort but oh my, worth every minute.
Best-Ever Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe large bananas (about 1½ cups mashed)
- ⅓ cup (5½ tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (reduce to ½ cup if your bananas are very sweet)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- Optional add-ins: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, or ½ cup chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray, then dust lightly with flour (or use a parchment sling for easy removal).
- In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas thoroughly with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and add texture.
- Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas until combined.
- Mix in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is well blended.
- Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and stir in.
- Add the flour all at once. Fold it in gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined — do not overmix or your bread will be tough. If adding nuts or chocolate chips, fold them in now.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. For a beautiful cracked top, you can run a butter knife down the center of the batter lengthwise.
- Bake for 60–70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly after 50 minutes, tent it loosely with foil.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Try to wait until it's fully cool before slicing — I know it's hard. The texture is SO much better once it sets.
A warm slice of banana bread with a little butter melted on top — Lord have mercy, there are few things in this world more comforting. My grandkids come over and the first thing little Emma does is look at my counter for bananas. She knows what that means. I hope this recipe makes your kitchen smell as wonderful as mine does on banana bread day. Love from Maple Grove! 💛
Comments (3)
Margie, I've tried so many banana bread recipes over the years and this one is honestly the best. Moist, flavorful, perfect. I added walnuts and it was just divine. Thank you!
I used the oven trick to ripen my bananas and it worked perfectly! Made this twice in one week because the first loaf disappeared so fast. My family says it tastes like the banana bread from the old diner downtown. Highest compliment!
Renee, walnuts are my personal favorite add-in — great minds! And Carol, that oven trick is one of my favorite little kitchen shortcuts. Highest compliment indeed — that just made my whole day! 💛
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