With its super-moist and buttery texture, banana and brown sugar flavors, soft crumb, and 1,000+ reviews, this is a delicious AND undeniably popular banana bread recipe. You need 4 ripe bananas.
One reader, Michele, says: “Perfectly delish every time! Absolutely foolproof. Nuts, no nuts, smidge more or less of sour cream—no problem… bigger bananas, smaller—no worries, perfect, beyond delicious EVERY time. ★★★★★”
This is my favorite banana bread recipe, one that I’ve cherished for years. It’s one of those classic recipes that you start to know by heart, just like a good pie crust or chocolate chip cookies recipe. This bread comes to mind first when I have leftover spotty bananas on the counter, and it’s the bread that’s on constant rotation in my freezer stash.
It’s one of the most popular recipes I’ve published on this website, out of over 1,200.
One reader, Tricia, says: “I have this recipe on speed dial. LOL. It is so tasty and is always a crowd pleaser. My kids and entire family love it!!! ★★★★★”
Yes, I have this recipe on speed dial too! 😉
I’ve tried dozens of banana bread recipes over the years, and when I baked and originally published this recipe back in 2013, I never looked back.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Recipe Too
- Mega banana flavor (from 2 cups/460g mashed bananas)
- Not overly sweet, so banana flavor shines
- Dense, but still quite tender & soft
- Buttery & stays moist for days
- Straightforward, simple recipe
- Freezes wonderfully
- Excellent plain or with nuts or chocolate chips
This bread uses more mashed bananas than similar recipes. Add 2 whole cups (460g) of mashed banana, which is about 4 large bananas. More banana = more moisture and flavor in the finished loaf.
How to Mash Bananas
Did you know you can use your electric mixer to mash bananas? Break or slice the spotty bananas into large pieces and place in the bowl of your stand mixer—or use a regular mixing bowl and your hand mixer. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed as the bananas break down into mashed banana. Transfer the bananas to another bowl and use the mixing bowl for the butter and sugar. (No need to clean it—some mashed banana remnants is fine.)
I do this when I mash bananas for banana muffins and banana chocolate chip breakfast cookies too.
Other Banana Bread Ingredients
- Butter: Use softened butter for a soft texture and irresistible butter flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Use all brown sugar in this recipe. In the headnotes for this chocolate chip cookies recipe, I explain that brown sugar yields soft and moist cookies. Well, brown sugar works that same magic in banana bread, too. It also adds wonderful flavor.
- Eggs: Eggs supply cakes, cupcakes, breads, doughs, and cookies their stability and structure, as well as a tender texture. You’ll need 2 large eggs for this.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: Sour cream or yogurt adds even more moisture to this banana bread. (You can use the 2 interchangeably in most baking recipes.)
For banana nut bread, add 3/4 cup of chopped nuts to the banana bread batter; I like using either pecans or walnuts. If you’re nuts for nuts (LOL), you’ll enjoy the toasty slight crunch nestled inside the soft crumbs. If you’re not a nut person, feel free to leave them out or replace with chocolate chips. For a whole wheat version, try my whole wheat banana bread.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes and I do this often. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
Can I Turn This Into a Banana Bundt Cake?
I recommend using my extremely similar, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe.
How to Freeze Banana Bread
Freeze banana bread using these instructions to preserve its fresh flavor and texture for months:
- Cool baked banana bread completely.
- Tightly wrap the loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2–3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Place wrapped banana bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container.
- Date the bag and freeze for up to 3–4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature. All methods work like a charm!
I like to freeze the quick bread in slices because slices thaw much quicker than a whole loaf.
Overall, this is an easy recipe for classic banana bread. The batter takes about 10 minutes to throw together, the bread stays moist for days, and nothing beats the smell of fresh banana bread in the oven. (Except for, maybe, zucchini bread or pumpkin bread… try those next!)
Other Favorite Banana Recipes:
- Banana Cake & Banana Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
- Banana Cream Pie & Banoffee Pie
- Banana Muffins or Healthier Chocolate Banana Muffins & Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
My Favorite Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its super-moist and buttery texture, banana and brown sugar flavors, soft crumb, and 1,000+ reviews, this is a delicious AND undeniably popular banana bread recipe. You need 4 large ripe bananas.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 cups (460g) mashed bananas (about 4 large ripe bananas)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 3/4 cup (100g) chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the yogurt, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until combined.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Do not over-mix. Fold in the nuts, if using.
- Pour and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 60-minute mark.
- Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove bread from the pan and cool bread directly on the wire rack until ready to slice and serve.
- Cover and store banana bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Banana bread tastes best on day 2 after the flavors have settled together. See post above for freezing instructions.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Butter: If needed, you can use salted butter in this recipe with no other changes needed. I’ve also successfully reduced the butter down to 6 Tablespoons (85g) with no issue (just as tasty).
- Brown Sugar: This is not an overly sweet quick bread. If you want a sweeter banana bread, increase to 1 cup (200g) brown sugar. Feel free to replace some or all of the brown sugar with regular white granulated sugar.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: This banana bread also tastes fantastic with cream cheese frosting on top! To make it, beat 4 ounces (112g) of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup (60g) of softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1 cup (120g) of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. Spread on cooled loaf.
- Banana Bread Muffins: Use this banana bread recipe to make 15 banana bread muffins. Spoon the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan (fill each to the top with batter) and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total bake time for the banana bread muffins is about 21–23 minutes. The initial burst of hot air helps those muffins rise nice and tall! Or try my quick & easy banana muffins.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to substitute the same amount of regular white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners.
- No Sour Cream or Yogurt? Feel free to use 1/3 cup mashed banana (in addition to the 2 cups), unsweetened applesauce, or even canned pumpkin puree.
- Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with 2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
- Chocolate Chips: I love this bread with chocolate chips, too. Feel free to add 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips. No need to leave out the nuts if you add the chocolate chips. Chocolate chips and nuts are both optional.
- Can I Turn This Into Banana Bundt Cake? There isn’t enough batter. I recommend using my extremely similar, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe.
Too wet don’t love it
This is the fourth banana recipe I have tried. The density, texture, moistness, and mouth feel were perfect *chef’s kiss*, better than any quick bread I’ve made so far. Since none of the other recipes had sour cream, that might be the magic ingredient.
Or not. There were other differences, too. I followed your advice regarding room temperature butter. I’d always used the microwave before, but I decided to try it your way. Covering with tin foil halfway through baking was also new.
For me, though, I think that the flavor needed some oomph. I like more baking spices than the average bear. 🙂 I’ll add some cardamom and freshly ground nutmeg and see how it goes.
Still a five out of five, though. The texture was that great! Better than I’ve gotten in some professional bakeries.
I really enjoyed making this recipe.
Wow this is the best banana bread I have made. So moist and delicious!! I used 2%
Plain Greek yogurt instead of yogurt/sour cream as I didn’t have the others at home. I will definitely use this recipe for every future banana bread makings. Thank you!!
Such an easy recipe, it’s in the oven and if it taste half as good as it smells—it’s a different keep!!
Is it possible to use oil instead of the butter in this recipe?
Hi Roshni, in place of the butter, you could try solid coconut oil. You need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that it can be creamed together with the sugar.
Love this recipe so much its the best I’ve made! I follow the recipe to the letter using yogurt & I weigh my ingredients. It takes around 90mins in my smaller loaf pan so I have to keep checking every 5mins towards the end but comes out beautiful, dense but not gluey. I have to stop myself eating it all! I have done it both plain & with a mix of walnuts & pecans with demerara sugar on top but my son doesn’t like the nuts so I’ve been doing it plain & it’s still amazing. Want to try chocolate chips next! Definitely cover with foil loosely half way through, it’s never burnt for me doing this but I imagine it would if I didn’t especially with how long i have to bake it for
I’ve been making the same old banana bread recipe for years, then I saw your recipe. I made it for the 1st time tonight and it’s amazing! I made the cream cheese icing too, it is delicious. I like that the icing isn’t overly sweet. This is my new go to banana bread recipe. My hubby loved it too. Thanks Sally!
Well I knew when I read it it would be good; I imagined the sour cream giving a tangy flavor and extra moisture, and brown sugar (no white!) Would add caramel color and flavor. I had 8 nasty looking bananas in my freezer, so doubled the recipe. My only alteration is that I let my bananas sit thawed out and fermenting on the counter for a couple days. I almost always love banana bread, but I agree- this recipe is the BEST ONE.
Made this recipe today! Came out perfect and tastes amazing!
This recipe was great! Only issue I had was the bottom and edges turned quite dark after only 50 minutes in the oven. I used a metal loaf pan. Any suggestions?
Hi Alycia, is your pan particularly dark? The edges and bottom will naturally be darker, but if you’re using a dark metal pan, they may begin to brown even faster. We’re so glad you enjoyed the banana bread!
My husband cannot get enough of this bread!!
Came out perfectly baked!
This is by far the best recipe I’ve ever made!!!
Really delicious, but it makes a huge loaf! I thought I had a regular sized loaf pan, but it was almost overflowing. It still baked well though, in about 70 minutes.
This recipe is amazing. I didnt have sour cream so i added more banana and it was super moist and delicious.
Great recipe – have made as directed a few times, but I love it when it’s easily flexible!
Subs:
I was out of yoghurt/sour cream (had just used in a batch of blueberry muffins) so subbed in strawberry cream cheese. Worked great!
Didn’t bother mashing my frozen bananas as they were already very soft – straight in on low in my stand mixer and they incorporated nicely.
Topped with a brown sugar and walnut crumble (also leftover from the other recipe)
Making for school snacks, so divided into 24 mini muffins and baked for 5 mins on 425 and 15mins on 350.
We ate half the batch before they’d even cooled!
I just made this banana bread recipe, and it turned out great! Very delicious, and not too sweet. I used the 8″ spring form pan, and it turned out fine. Thanks Sally for another wonderful recipe.
This recipe was amazing!! I added semi-sweet chocolate chips and a mixture of walnuts and pecans, chopped finely. Also, I used Trader Joe’s vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt! It had to cook maybe an extra 10-15 minutes, so I am glad you mentioned to bring the rack down because the top definitely would’ve been burnt. Thank you for this recipe!! 🙂
Amazing Recipe. Definitely a keeper. A moist yummy bread. Not too sweet.
Anytime I add yoghurt to my banana bread it becomes dense and tastes like it’s uncooked or undercooked
Hi Varsha, Banana bread is going to be more dense than light and fluffy because of all the moisture from the bananas. It yours is turning out too dense there are a few things you can try. First check your baking soda – we find it can lose strength after just a few months. Also make sure not to over-mix your batter, which can lead to a dense bread. Finally, if you need to extend your bake time you can cover the top of your loaf with aluminum foil so that the top doesn’t brown too much while the center bakes. Hope the next one turns out better!
will this work for a 4 x mini loaf pan ?
Hi Andrea, You can definitely use mini loaf pans. We are unsure of the exact bake time needed. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
I made this yummy banana bread six times already! My grandkids loved it. I made it with yogurt, I also made it with sour cream. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
This is probably the best banana bread recipe I have ever made. I think it’s the combination of yogurt and using brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar. Whatever it is, it tastes amazing I split it into two small loaf pans and added chocolate chips to one loaf.
This recipe is so delicious! I followed the recipe precisely except for the amount of banana. I had four bananas and figured they were the right size but mine might’ve been larger than called for because the batter was still underbaked at the hour mark. Sufficed to say the loaf deflated. It could’ve used maybe 15-20 more minutes because of the water content. HOWEVER, it was still soooo delicious. It was a hit with my family. They didn’t mind the texture, it came out more of a dense cake. Next time though, I’ll definitely measure my bananas precisely! I’ll definitely be using this recipe exclusively
This tasted so good, but I set the temperature lower 20 degrees, because I was using a fan oven and it always asks me to reduce by 20. So it was super dense and not risen. But the kids loved it but it was not the best it should have been. Will try again and use the temperatures as given.
So delicious!! I found that the metal pan vs the glass pan really does make a difference…it got a lot darker when I baked it in the glass pan. Thank you Sally!