Banana Bread

A classic loaf of banana bread is the epitome of simple home baking, but that doesn't mean it can't also deliver maximum deliciousness. If you’re looking to make the ultimate banana bread—moist, dense, and absolutely jam-packed with banana—look no further than this recipe. My tried-and-true banana bread does everything you want it to—it’s quick to whip up with only a handful of pantry ingredients, is full of intense banana flavor, and has that perfect, moist-crumb texture. Looking to take your banana bread over the top? Follow my top tips for everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:
"Me and my wife have been baking banana breads for years and when we made this one last Sunday we knew our search for the perfect recipe was done! The recipe is super easy to make and at the same time has an intense banana flavor. Will keep making this for many years to come!" - Rochesterocks

"This banana bread doesn't last long in my kitchen! It's one of the best banana bread recipes I've ever tried and believe me I've tried a few...It really has a strong banana flavor, which I like, and comes together fast." - noshynat

How To Make Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• Flour: I prefer all-purpose flour for quick breads such as banana bread. It has a moderate protein content that gives the bread just enough structure to achieve a soft, tender crumb.
• Baking Soda: Our leavening agent reacts with the acid ingredients in the batter—the brown sugar and the bananas (bananas turn acidic as they ripen)—to give the loaf its lift.
• Eggs: The eggs do a little bit of everything: They bind, they leaven, they moisten, they even aid in browning.
• Dark Brown Sugar & Vanilla: Every star vocalist has at least one back-up singer, and in this recipe the banana has two. The deeply caramelized notes of the dark brown sugar and the sweet rich vanilla amplify and enhance the banana flavor, similar to the way espresso does in chocolate cake. If you don't have dark brown sugar, don't stress. You can achieve a close approximation by subbing in light brown sugar along with 2 tsp. unsulphured molasses.
• Butter: Many banana bread recipes rely on vegetable oil, which does yield a slightly moister, more tender loaf than butter does. But only slightly, and you can’t beat butter for flavor, IMHO.
• Bananas: Always use extra-ripe bananas! I’m talking bananas that are, at a minimum, speckled all over. (Those speckles are known as “sugar spots” for a reason.) And be sure to measure or weigh the mashed banana so you nail the quantity.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Get things going by preheating your oven (350°, please) and prepping your pan. An 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" metal loaf pan is ideal, but a 9" x 4" pan can work do if that's all you've got—the loaf will just be a little shorter and denser. Grease the inside of the pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides to serve as handles. Spray the parchment and set the pan aside.

Now for the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.

On to the wet ingredients: Mash the bananas really well with a fork in a separate medium bowl. You want the consistency of the mashed bananas to be as smooth as possible so they mix evenly into the batter. Now, working in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and melted butter until smooth. Whisk in the mashed bananas and vanilla until evenly combined.

Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until incorporated and no dry streaks remain. Don’t overmix at this stage or you’ll develop too much gluten and wind up with a dense and chewy loaf.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake the banana bread on the center oven rack until the top is golden brown and a toothpick, skewer, or cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool in pan for at least 1 hour; don’t shortcut this step, as it is critical to ensuring the bread sets properly. Finally, lift the bread out of the pan using the parchment handles, cut into slices, and serve.

Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• What is the best loaf pan for making banana bread? This recipe calls for an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" metal loaf pan, greased with cooking spray and lined with parchment with an overhang on both sides (this is to help with easy loaf removal after baking). We chose this loaf pan size to create a tall bread, but you can use a slightly larger loaf pan if that's all you have. If you do, keep an eye on your baking time—your loaf will probably be done a few minutes earlier.
• How to make moist banana bread: While you definitely want your banana bread cooked through, you don’t want to bake it for too long; no one wants dry banana bread! With that in mind, don’t rely on color alone. Instead, grab a toothpick, skewer, or cake tester and insert it into the center of the loaf—if it comes out with a few moist crumbs still attached, you’re golden.
• How to add mix-ins to banana bread: Lots of banana breads include spices, nuts, or chocolate chips. Don’t get me wrong, I love all those things, but I set out to make the bananas the star of this bread, so I left off any embellishments. If you prefer something extra in your banana bread, by all means feel free to add 1 cup of your preferred mix-ins to the batter—chocolate chips, walnuts/pecans, you name it!

Storage

Banana bread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Want it to stay perfectly moist? Lay a paper towel in the container, place the loaf on top of it, then lay another paper towel on top before sealing. For longer storage, you can freeze the banana bread. Let the loaf cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.