Moist Homemade Banana Bread

Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Recipe

Here’s all the reasons I love it, and I think you will too:

• Quick & easy. With just 10 minutes of prep time, this recipe is easy to make. (And perfect for making ahead!)
• Perfect texture. The moist and tender consistency has me slicing pieces off all day long. Trust me when I say that this loaf will be gone before you know it.
• Just the right amount of sweetness. It’s sweet enough to eat on its own, but not so sweet that you couldn’t add some honey or maple butter on top if you wanted.
• Flexible. You can add mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, and more. I shared some ideas below!

What You’ll Need

Most of the ingredients for this bread are probably already in your pantry. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list.

• Mashed Bananas: Be sure to choose bananas that are quite ripe with some brown spots. They’ll be softer and sweeter!
• Oil: I used vegetable oil but you could also use olive oil.
• Butter: Unsalted
• Eggs
• Milk: You could also use soy milk or almond milk.
• Vanilla
• Sugar: I used regular sugar, but you could also use light brown sugar if you wanted to add a touch of caramel flavor.
• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Cinnamon

How to Make Banana Bread

Banana Bread is both simple and easy to make. Here’s everything you’ll need to do:

• Prepare your equipment. Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease a 9-inch loaf pan, setting aside once that’s done. Feel free to line it with parchment paper (this will help prevent the bread from sticking once it’s done baking).

• Mash the bananas. Using either a potato masher or a fork (the potato masher is usually easier), peel and mash the bananas.
• Combine the wet ingredients. Once mashed, combine the mashed bananas with the oil, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Then, beat everything together until it’s all thoroughly combined.
• Add sugar. When every has been combined, add the sugar and continue beating until it’s well incorporated.

• Combine the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with your wet ingredients. Beat just until it starts to combine (beating too much will cause the bread to be tough and chewy). To finish incorporating the flour, just continue to stir the mixture with a spatula. 

• Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F for 55-65 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean). Allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Tips for Success

Although this banana bread is easy to make, getting the right consistency with any baked good can be challenging. Here are a few of my tips for making the best homemade banana bread:

• Use extra ripe bananas: The riper the bananas are, the better flavor your bread will have. When it comes to banana bread, I like to use overripe bananas. I will often pop overripe bananas in the freezer so that I can make banana bread later (just make sure to thaw them before trying to mash them!)
• Be careful when mixing the batter: This is definitely not a recipe that you want to overmix the batter (doing so will result in a tough and chewy bread). When combining the wet and dry ingredients, try to stop once everything is just combined.
• Set the timer at 55 minutes: Baking time can vary based on a lot of factors, so make sure that you test your loaf after 55 minutes. The easiest way to do this is by inserting a toothpick into the center. Once it comes out clean (you may have to do this two to three times between the 55 and 65 minutes), take it out of the oven to cool.

Choose Your Own Mix-ins

One of the reasons I love this recipe is because it’s so simple, but also easily customizable. There are so many ingredients that add flavor and texture to this classic bread. Here are a few of my favorite ingredients to add:

• Chopped Nuts: I love the way crunchy nuts add texture to this otherwise soft bread.
• Chocolate Chips: Rich chocolate pairs great with the lightly sweet flavor of bananas.
• Dried fruit: Raisins and craisins are great for adding both texture and sweetness.

How to Store Banana Bread

This recipe will stay moist for days when stored properly. First allow the bread to cool completely. I recommend placing the bread in an airtight storage bag or container so that it stays as moist as possible. You can then either store it at room temperature for 3 days or in the fridge for 6 days.

Can I Freeze It?

Yes, you can freeze banana bread! Whether you made it in advance or just couldn’t finish the loaf, this recipe will last for up to 2 months when frozen. Allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap it in one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil.

When you’re ready to serve it, just remove it from the freezer and place it on the counter. It should take about 24 hours to come to room temperature this way, so make sure you plan when you want to take it out ahead of time.