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Classic Banana Bread

Classic Banana Bread

Ultimate Banana Bread — Rich, Tender Loaf That Uses Up Those Spotted Bananas

Those overripe bananas sitting on your counter? They're exactly what this bread needs. The speckled, soft fruit brings natural sweetness and incredible moisture to every slice, creating the kind of banana bread that actually tastes like bananas.

AmericanBreakfastDessertSnackComfort FoodBudget FriendlyKid FriendlyBaking
Prep15 min
Cook1 hr
Total1 hr 15 min
Servings8
Difficultyeasy

Nutrition

fat6g
carbs58g
protein4g
calories285

Ingredients

  • 3 largelarge ripe bananas, very spotted and soft, mashed
  • 1¾ cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 cupgranulated sugar
  • 1 largelarge egg, room temperature
  • ⅓ cupunsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 tspbaking soda
  • ½ tspfine salt
  • 1 tsppure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Get your oven heating to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. Don't skip the corners — banana bread loves to stick.
  2. Place your bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine — they'll add texture to the finished bread.
  3. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas, followed by the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix until everything is well combined and the mixture looks uniform.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, whisking to distribute the leavening evenly. This prevents pockets of baking soda that could leave a metallic taste.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and fold together with a wooden spoon just until you can't see any streaks of flour. Stop mixing as soon as it comes together — overworking will make the bread tough.
  6. Scrape the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. The surface doesn't need to be perfectly smooth.
  7. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The bread will pull slightly from the sides of the pan when done.
    ⏱ 1 hr
  8. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes — this prevents it from falling apart when you remove it. Then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
    ⏱ 10 min