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Home » Blog » Bread and Muffin Recipes » Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Cathy Roma Published: Oct 31, 2018

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Quick breads have their name for a reason. Easy and fast to make, but big on taste. This classic banana bread recipe is a family favorite, impossibly moist with a crunchy crust and loads of banana flavor.

Baked Banana Bread straight out of the oven with a sugared crust.

So everyone knows the expression “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. Well in my house, it’s “when life hands you brown bananas, make banana bread”.

It’s one of those things that I never mind making, mainly because it’s super easy and very satisfying. A slice of warm banana bread slathered with butter and cup of coffee is second only to cold pizza and coffee for The. Best. Breakfast.

Ever. in my book. After all, I can only eat so much yogurt with fruit in the morning before feeling completely deprived.

A Family Recipe for Banana Bread

Banana bread has been a constant throughout my life. My Grandma Ruth made the best banana bread and I have used her recipe religiously over the years.

My mom often had one waiting for us when we came home from school and soon it became my job to turn those sweet, brown bananas into a treat instead of trash.

Baked Banana Bread with a sugared crust sliced on a slate board served with butter.

I’ve made some variations to Grandma Ruth’s recipe over the years, but it’s pretty close to the original. Her recipe called for shortening, which I’ve replaced with butter; sour milk, which I’ve switched to buttermilk; and I’ve added a healthy pinch of cinnamon and splash of vanilla for extra flavor.

We’re in the “no nut” camp in my house, but feel free to toss in a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts to yours, or even a cup of chocolate chips if that’s your thing.

Whatever your preference, slice it when it’s still warm and add a smear of butter.  Breakfast (or lunch or a snack…) is served.

Let’s make Banana Bread

Step by step photos showing how to make Banana Bread. Combine the sugars and butter (1), mix in the eggs (2), grab those brown bananas (3), mash the banana with buttermilk (4), mix in the dry (5), add the vanilla (6), spread in the loaf pan and sprinkle with sugar (7), bake,, cool and eat! (8)

  1. Cream the butter and both sugars.
  2. Add the eggs and mix.
  3. Grab those brown bananas and the masher!
  4. Mash the bananas and add buttermilk.
  5. Stir in the dry ingredients.
  6. Stir in the vanilla.
  7. Spread into a greased loaf pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
  8. Bake, cool on a wire rack, turn out of the pan, slice and serve!

Baked Banana Bread straight out of the oven with a sugared crust.

Tips for success

  • Less mixing is more in this recipe.. Have a light hand when combining ingredients to ensure a tender crumb.
  • Don’t have buttermilk handy? My Grandma called for “sour milk”…stir a light splash of plain vinegar into whole milk as an easy replacement.
  • Turbinado sugar is a large crystal grain sugar that adds extra crunch to the crust. It’s perfection, but granulated sugar will work in a pinch!
  • Store the banana bread at room temperature for 3 days, after that pop it into the frig! It’s delish toasted too!
4.67 from 3 votes
Baked Banana Bread straight out of the oven with a sugared crust.
Print
Banana Bread
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 

Quick breads have their name for a reason. Easy and fast to make, but big on taste. This classic banana bread recipe is a family favorite, impossibly moist with a crunchy crust and loads of banana flavor. 

Course: Bread, Quick Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bread
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 320 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For...
Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tbsp buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed banana
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x5x3 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 

  2. Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer on med/high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Combine mashed banana and buttermilk in a small bowl.
  5. Add banana mixture to creamed mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

  6. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl and mix until just combined.

  7. Stir in vanilla, being careful not to over mix.
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.

  9. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking it at 50 mins to be sure not to over-bake.

  10. Let banana bread cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.
  11. Serve warm or cooled to room temperature.
Recipe Notes
  • Less mixing is more in this recipe.. Have a light hand when combining ingredients to ensure a tender crumb.
  • Don't have buttermilk handy? My Grandma called for "sour milk"...stir a light splash of plain vinegar into whole milk as an easy replacement.
  • Turbinado sugar is a large crystal grain sugar that adds extra crunch to the crust. It's perfection, but granulated sugar will work in a pinch!
  • Store the banana bread at room temperature for 3 days, after that pop it into the frig! It's delish toasted too!
Nutrition Facts
Banana Bread
Amount Per Serving
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 61mg20%
Sodium 317mg14%
Potassium 282mg8%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 330IU7%
Vitamin C 3.6mg4%
Calcium 61mg6%
Iron 1.9mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2015 but was republished with step-by-step photos and tips in October 2018.

7

Bread and Muffin Recipes, Recipe banana, banana bread, bread, quick, quick bread

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tessa White says

    October 14, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    My mouth is watering. Seriously. That slice with the butter crushes me in the best way possible.

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      October 14, 2015 at 8:14 pm

      good on it’s own, but i do love a warm slice with butter!

  2. shelly says

    October 15, 2019 at 2:49 am

    Wondering why you add vanilla in after the dry ingredients? I’ve never heard of that. I am in the camp of mix “wet” first, then add to the (pre-mixed) dry. If you add vanilla at the end, aren’t you risking overmixing?

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      October 15, 2019 at 12:17 pm

      I always add the vanilla last because vanilla is alcohol based. It can evaporate and the flavor is diminished. Adding it at the end preserves the flavor. I’ve heard people use pure vanilla for cakes and imitation for cookies (because their internal temp is higher as they bake), but I’ve never been a big fan of the flavor in imitation.

4.67 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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