Simple Banana Bread
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If you have overripe bananas on the counter, this moist banana bread is the easiest way to use them up. It mixes quickly and bakes into a tender loaf, perfect for a sweet brunch or as an afternoon treat.
This nut-free recipe uses just 8 basic ingredients, so it’s a simple baking project for kids or beginner bakers.
In this updated post, I’m sharing with you all the things to help you succeed for the first time, like how ripe your bananas should be, how to avoid a gummy center and how to store or freeze slices so nothing goes to waste.
How to make simple banana bread
Ingredient list
- Very ripe bananas
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Flour
- Butter: Salted or unsalted, homemade or store-bought will all work here.
- Sugar: It can be white, light brown or dark brown for a stronger molasses taste.
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract: This is an optional ingredient. If you don’t have it on hand, omit it.
Tools and utensils
- Measuring spoons and cups, or a scale
- Mixing bowl and fork (or spatula)
- Loaf pan and parchment paper (or butter for greasing)
- Saucepan (for stove), or a bowl (for microwave) to melt the butter in
The process is simple
To use as few bowls as possible, I start with mashing the bananas in a mixing bowl, then add the egg, sugar and melted butter and mix this with the same fork I mashed the bananas.
To this, I add flour, cinnamon and baking soda and mix until combined. Vanilla extract is not necessary. I sometimes use it and sometimes I don’t.
This batter goes to the loaf pan and bakes until done.
My takeaways
I have baked this bread countless times over the years. What I have learned is that the riper the bananas the tastier and moister (and sweeter) the banana bread. Many recipes for banana bread call for a lot of sugar, but this is not needed at all. The sweetness comes from the ripe fruit.
This quick bread keeps well in the freezer, so you can easily slice and freeze it to enjoy it later. I often do this, especially when I know we will not eat it within 2 days.
My recipe says to use large bananas, but I have made this simple banana bread recipe with small ones as well (as you can see in the ingredients picture). If you have small, use 4 of them, with very large, you can use only 2. You should aim for about 1½ cups of mashed bananas.
Pan sizes
This recipe works best in an 8×4-inch pan. If you use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, the bread will not be very high/tall. If this is not an issue for you, then feel free to use it. It will not affect its taste. It might just be done faster (start checking after 50 minutes).
I also have a 10×4-inch pan that I sometimes use. This pan gives a nicer shape than the 9×5-inch one.
Bake time
Most quick breads need about 60 minutes in the oven and so does this one. When making it for the first time, set a timer for 45 minutes and check to see if it is done – an inserted skewer will come out with a few moist crumbs only, not batter.
Serving suggestions
This banana bread is delicious as is, with butter, honey, jam or cinnamon honey butter.
Banana peel color
- Green: Don’t use them by any means. They are underripe. Wait.
- Bright yellow: It is still not the right time to make this quick bread.
- Dark yellow with a few black spots: You are on the right way but still not quite there yet.
- Dark yellow with a lot of black spots: Ripe bananas, perfect for baking.
- Black peel: Overripe bananas. Smell one to see if they are not gone off (This can happen sometimes). A strong fermented/alcohol smell is a sign to get rid of them.
Troubleshooting
- Bread turned out dry: Too much flour (use a spoon and level method when measuring out the flour) or not enough banana.
- Sank in the middle: Underbaked bread.
- Dense texture: Old baking soda or overmixing.
- Short loaf: Pan too large or not enough bananas.
Recipe FAQ
The riper the more flavorful. In general, you are looking for any bananas that have black spots on the skin, the more the better.
Absolutely. Once completely cooled down, slice the loaf and transfer as many pieces onto a baking sheet. Flash-freeze for 30 minutes, then put into a resealable plastic bag, press out air and label. When ready to enjoy, take it out and wait until thawed. The easiest way to heat it up is pop a slice or two in your toaster and toast it slightly.
Extra tips
- Swap cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice to make it festive.
- Grease the pan either with plenty of butter or use parchment paper for an easy cleanup.
More recipes with bananas you might like
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins – A delicious recipe for an easy treat.
- Apricot Banana Bundt Cake – If you haven’t tried this combo, here is your chance.
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies – Another delicious, sweet treat.
- Poppy Seed Banana Bread – Made with poppy seed and Greek yogurt.
Simple Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large bananas very ripe, see note 1
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g, see note 2
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted (80 g), see note 3
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, (190 g)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of an 8×4-inch (20×10-centimeter) loaf pan with butter (or line with parchment paper). Set aside.
- Place peeled ripe bananas into a medium mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork.
- Add egg (1, large), granulated sugar (½ cup), melted butter (½ cup) and mix well with the fork.
- Now, add baking soda (1 teaspoon), cinnamon (1 teaspoon) and all-purpose flour (1½ cups) and stir until just combined and no dry flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake on the middle rack for 50 to 60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean (no sticky batter, just a few moist crumbs).
- When ready, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack before slicing.
Video
Notes
- The riper the bananas the sweeter and moister the loaf. For best results, use the ones with a lot of black spots or almost all black. Medium to large bananas work best, but I have made this with small ones as well. The batter will be thicker and you get a slightly smaller loaf, but taste-wise it’s still delicious.
- Granulated sugar can be substituted with light or dark brown sugar (in the same quantity).
- I use unsalted butter because that is what I always have on hand. You can use salted butter, if that is what you have or prefer.
- Cinnamon goes well here but pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice will also work nicely, especially during the holidays.
- Vanilla extract is completely optional and can be easily omitted.
- Best served with butter, jam or honey cinnamon butter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.
no salt???
Hi. No, there is no salt in this recipe. That being said, you can add a pinch, if you feel it is needed.
I did not know there was a trick for getting bananas to ripen in minutes! Wow! Nor have I ever opened a banana peel to a dry banana – that must have been a total bummer! This banana bread looks absolutely delightful!
Thank you, Vicky! Yes, the trick is awesome, isn’t it?
On a recent flight with my family, we were served banana bread as a snack. My son declared it to be the most delicious thing he had ever eaten, and he kept asking me if we could make it at home, despite the fact that I quite frequently make banana bread whenever we have overripe bananas! So I made it shortly after our trip, and although he enjoyed it, he said it wasn’t as good as the commercially-prepared one he had eaten on the plane. So I have since been on a mission to try as many banana bread recipes as I can to please my 4 year old son! So thank you for this recipe … I know what I’m making this weekend ;-)
:) Oh my! You definitely need to find that perfect recipe! Let me know how it went!
I pretty much never bake, but when I do, it’s a banana bread of some sort. You just can’t go wrong with it!
You definitely can’t go wrong with banana bread! :)
LOVE banana bread…nothing can top the comfort of it!
Exactly! :) :)
Oh my! The banana bread topping looks amazing!
Thanks, Brandi! :)
Haven’t tried it yet. How do you melt the butter? Does it have to be melted?
Hi Lisa. Yes, you need to melt the butter. I usually melt it on a stove top in a small saucepan. I find it easier and more reliable than melting it in a microwave (often it spits and doesn’t melt evenly).