Delicious Banana Bread Recipe

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.”

Super

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.

The Best Banana Bread Recipe ~sweet & Savory

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!!!”

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.

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.

Extra Moist Banana Bread With Oil

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.)

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.

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.

Super Moist Banana Bread

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.

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!)

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.

Super Moist Banana Bread Recipe

Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. Her kitchen-tested recipes and thorough step-by-step tutorials give readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally has been featured onPut those ripe bananas to use in this moist, delicious banana bread and you'll learn why it's the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes.

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

This banana bread has been the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes for over 10 years. Thousands of people make it every day. Why?

Sour Cream Banana Bread Recipe

Because it really is the best banana bread recipe, period. You can mix everything in one bowl, you can vary the amount of sugar or bananas. And the secret to its great flavor? Melted butter.

My

The beauty of this banana bread recipe is you don't need a fancy mixer! A mixing bowl, a fork to whisk the eggs, and a sturdy spoon to mix the batter are all you need. The sugar amount is flexible. The original recipe called for a cup of white sugar, but most people, including me, do just fine with 3/4 cup, and many are happy with 1/2 cup.

You can toss in a cup of chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if you want, or put the batter into muffin tins and make banana nut muffins instead. You can even go a step further and make chocolate banana bread.

Best Moist Banana Bread Recipe

I was given this banana bread recipe years ago from my friend Heidi H, who, many years before, had begged the recipe from a ski buddy’s mother—Mrs. Hockmeyer. Thanks Heidi!

All these years later, we were curious to know more about who Mrs. Hockmeyer is, and how Heidi got her recipe in the first place. You can read all about it in this story.

This recipe calls for an 8x4-inch loaf pan, which produces a tall loaf. The recipe will also work in an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch loaf pan, producing a slightly shorter bread. Since the pan is a bit larger, the bake time is shorter: 47 to 57 minutes. A 9x5-inch pan will yield an especially short but still delicious bread; bake for 45 to 55 minutes.

Super Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe (just 3 Ingredients!)

This recipe calls for an 8x4-inch loaf pan. If you are baking in an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch pan, bake for 47 to 57 minutes. If baking in a 9x5-inch pan, bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Note that the larger pan size will produce a flatter loaf.

The best bananas to use for banana bread are those that are overripe. The yellow peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside squishy and browning.

BEST

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2, 000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Banana Bread Recipe (with Video!)

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.This is a great recipe for a basic classic banana bread. I have only two criteria for what I would consider the best banana bread recipe: super moist and big banana flavor.

Results. They are all fairly similar (ok, I didn’t read 278 million). Some have more sugar, some add an extra moisture ingredient, some add nuts, and so on. But the basics are the same.

Janet's Rich Banana Bread Recipe

I’ve made this recipe a LOT. The first time with an electric mixer, the next time (and from then on) without. It really made no difference. However, you do need to pay attention to a few tips that will get you to REALLY great banana bread.

If you obsess like me and need to review 10 recipes before you settle on one, you’ll be happy you landed on this one – the best banana bread recipe in my humble opinion. Our readers seem to think so too.

That’s becauseI’ve done a ton of research and testing for you so you don’t have to.You’ll find tips, substitutions, variations, freezing instructions, and more.

Moist

The Most Amazing Banana Bread

There’s no need for a stand mixer. You can mix the batter with a spoon or fork. The instructions are simple. Just be sure to pay attention to the tips which are all included in the recipe.

This is an incredibly soft, moist banana bread recipe. Amazing flavor. A great way to use up those brown bananas. Our #1 most popular recipe. And simply delicious.

Sour cream – light or full fat is fine. Or use plain or vanilla yogurt instead. This adds moisture to the banana bread.

Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

My sister loves banana bread toasted with butter. I have to admit it’s pretty good. Plain – or plain with butter – is great too. And a bit ofpeach marmalade! For a healthy ending to a meal, serve banana bread with this easy 4-ingredient tropical fruit salad.

If you love banana desserts, also check out this fabulous banana cake with chocolate frosting – one of my faves. Or these yummy homemade banana pudding cups.

For baking, the best way to measure flour is to weigh it on a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, use the scoop and swipe method with measuring cups. Scoop the flour with a spoon into a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. The right

The Best Banana Bread Recipe