Classic Homemade Banana Bread
Easy homemade banana bread recipe with ripe bananas, warm spices, and optional nuts. Moist, tender loaf ready in 80 minutes.
Health Scores
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 medium ripe bananas (brown-spotted), mashed by hand
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.375 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 0.75 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 0.5 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 0.75 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over the sides for easy removal.
- 2
Cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed for approximately 2-3 minutes, until the mixture becomes pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color.
Tip: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread. Black-skinned bananas are ideal — they have more sugar and more moisture.
- 3
Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next egg.
- 4
Stir in the vanilla extract and mix until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the bread tough and dense instead of tender. Stop mixing as soon as you don't see dry flour.
- 5
Mash the ripe bananas by hand in a separate bowl until mostly smooth with some small lumps remaining, which will contribute to better texture in the finished loaf.
- 6
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in another bowl, combining the dry ingredients thoroughly.
Tip: If the top is browning too fast, tent with aluminum foil at the 40-minute mark.
- 7
Gently fold the mashed bananas and sour cream into the egg mixture, alternating between the two and starting with the bananas, until just barely combined—do not overmix, as this will result in a dense crumb.
- 8
Fold in the toasted walnuts with a few careful strokes until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- 9
Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula to ensure even baking.
- 10
Bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, not wet batter.
- 11
Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
- 12
Allow the loaf to cool completely for at least 1 hour on the wire rack before slicing, which prevents crumbling and allows the structure to set properly.
- 13
Wrap any leftover slices in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days for extended freshness.
Why This Recipe Works
- Overripe bananas are the secret — as bananas brown, their starches convert to sugars, delivering intense banana flavor and natural sweetness without extra sugar.
- Brown sugar instead of white adds molasses depth and extra moisture that keeps the bread tender for days.
- Melted butter (not creamed) keeps the method dead simple — one bowl, no mixer needed.
- Minimal mixing preserves a tender crumb by avoiding gluten development.
- Cinnamon bridges the banana sweetness with warm spice notes without overpowering.
The One-Bowl Method
The beauty of banana bread is its simplicity. No stand mixer. No creaming butter and sugar for 5 minutes. No separating eggs. You mash bananas in a bowl, stir in the wet ingredients, fold in the dry, and bake.
The key decisions are all about restraint. Mash the bananas but leave some small chunks — they create pockets of concentrated banana flavor in the finished bread. Melt the butter instead of softening it — melted butter distributes more evenly through the batter and makes the bread moister. And the most critical instruction: stop mixing the moment the flour disappears. Every extra stir develops gluten, and gluten turns tender quick bread into a chewy, dense brick.
Step-by-Step Guide
Start with the bananas. They should be so ripe that the peels are spotted brown or nearly black. If they're yellow, they're not ready — the bread will taste starchy instead of sweet. Mash them in a large bowl with a fork. You want them mostly smooth but a few small chunks are fine.
Stir in the melted butter, then the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. The mixture will look loose and wet — that's correct. Sprinkle the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon over the top and stir them in before adding the flour. This ensures they're distributed evenly.
Add the flour all at once and fold it in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Fold, don't stir — scrape from the bottom up and over. Stop the second you can't see dry flour. The batter will look slightly lumpy. That's perfect.
Pour into your prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes. Don't open the oven for the first 40 minutes. When done, the bread will be golden brown with a crack down the center and a toothpick will come out clean.
Tips & Tricks
- ✓Freeze overripe bananas in their peels for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 30 minutes before using — they'll be mushy and perfect.
- ✓Brown sugar adds moisture and deeper caramel flavor compared to white sugar. Don't substitute.
- ✓Room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly. Pull the egg out 20 minutes before you start.
- ✓A crack down the center of the loaf is normal and desirable — it means the bread rose properly.
- ✓Add chocolate chips, blueberries, or swirl in peanut butter for variations.
Variations & Substitutions
| Ingredient | Substitute | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | Whole wheat pastry flour (use 1.75 cups whole wheat + 0.5 cup all-purpose) | Increases fiber content and creates a lower glycemic impact for better blood sugar management |
| Granulated sugar | Coconut sugar or maple syrup (0.5 cup maple syrup + reduce sour cream to 0.25 cup) | Lower glycemic index sweeteners reduce blood sugar spikes and provide minerals |
| Sour cream | Plain Greek yogurt | Increases protein content and beneficial probiotics for better gut health and satiety |
| Unsalted butter | Unsweetened applesauce (use 0.25 cup butter + 0.25 cup applesauce) | Reduces saturated fat intake while maintaining moisture and reducing inflammation |
| Walnuts | Ground flaxseed or chia seeds (0.5 cup mixed into batter) | Boosts omega-3 fatty acids and fiber for inflammation reduction and digestive health |
| Granulated sugar | Monk fruit sweetener (use 0.375 cup for equivalent sweetness) | Zero glycemic impact and no effect on blood sugar levels for diabetes-friendly baking |
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Reheating: Toast slices in a toaster or warm in the oven at 300°F for 5 minutes. Add butter while warm.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (serves 12)
| Calories | 268 |
| Total Fat | 12g |
| Saturated Fat | 5g |
| Cholesterol | 42mg |
| Sodium | 192mg |
| Carbohydrates | 35g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Sugar | 18g |
| Protein | 5g |