World's Best Banana Bread Recipe
A Forever Favorite Baking.
A classic, moist, and fragrant banana bread loaf that transforms overripe bananas into pure comfort.
I remember my grandmother’s hands, always dusted with a little flour. She never used a written recipe for her banana bread, just a sense of what felt right. This is my version of that feeling. It took me years to get it just so—perfectly moist, full of that deep banana flavor, with a beautiful golden crust. It's the recipe I turn to when the house feels too quiet, or when those bananas on the counter get just a little too spotty. Yeah, it’s a simple thing, but it’s just so good.
Why This Banana Bread is So Special
- •That soul-warming aroma. Your whole house will smell incredible.
- •It’s unbelievably moist. No dry, crumbly banana bread here.
- •A beautiful way to use up those sad-looking bananas on your counter.
- •It’s practically foolproof, honestly. A very forgiving recipe.
- •The perfect balance of sweetness and warm spice.
- •It feels like a hug in the form of a baked good.
Wow. Just, wow. I’ve made a lot of banana bread in my life, but this is the one. It came out so incredibly moist and the flavor is perfect. My kids devoured half the loaf before it even cooled completely. This is definitely our new family recipe.
Essential Ingredient Guide
- Very Ripe Bananas: Look for bananas with lots of brown spots. The uglier, the better! This is where all the natural sweetness and intense banana flavor comes from. They should be soft and easy to mash.
- Melted Butter: Using melted butter instead of softened butter gives the loaf a wonderfully tender and moist crumb. It also makes mixing a breeze.
- Brown Sugar: The molasses in brown sugar adds a lovely depth of flavor and extra moisture that you just don't get from white sugar alone. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.
Complete Cooking Process
- First, let’s get the oven going to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare your 9x5-inch loaf pan. A little butter and flour, or a simple parchment paper sling works beautifully.
- Melt your butter and set it aside to cool just a bit.
- Mash those lovely, overripe bananas in a big bowl.
- Add all your wet ingredients—the sugars, eggs, cooled butter, and vanilla—to the mashed bananas. Give it a gentle stir.
- In another bowl, whisk the dry things together: flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Now, combine the two. Pour the dry into the wet and fold with a spatula. Remember, lumps are okay! Overmixing is the enemy of a tender loaf.
- Pour your lovely batter into the prepared pan.
- Pop it into the preheated oven and let it do its thing for about an hour.
- Check for doneness with a skewer. When it comes out clean, it’s ready.
- Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes. This little rest helps it set up before you move it to a wire rack to finish cooling.
A Few Common Questions
→Can I use frozen bananas?
Yes, absolutely! Just thaw them completely at room temperature. They'll release some liquid—I like to pour that right into the batter for extra flavor. They might look a little gross, but trust me, they're perfect for baking.
→How do I know when my bananas are ripe enough?
You want them to be very soft with lots of brown or black spots on the peel. The darker, the sweeter. If they're still mostly yellow, the bread won't have as much flavor.
→Can I make this into muffins?
Of course! Just divide the batter among a lined 12-cup muffin tin and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350°F (175°C), or until a skewer comes out clean.
→Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?
That can happen for a couple of reasons. It might be slightly underbaked, or the batter was overmixed, which develops the gluten too much. Just mix until the flour disappears and you'll be fine.
World's Best Banana Bread Recipe
The world's best banana bread recipe transforms overripe bananas into a slice of pure culinary heaven. A moist, fragrant loaf everyone loves.
Timing
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55-65 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Recipe Details
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 013 very ripe medium bananas, mashed well
- 021/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 032 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 041/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 051/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 061 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 011 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 021 teaspoon baking soda
- 031/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 041/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 051/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Add-ins
- 011/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 021/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until they're mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining. I find this gives the best texture.
Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, lightly beaten eggs, and vanilla extract into the mashed bananas until just combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Just a quick whisk to get everything acquainted.
Gently pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few streaks of flour are perfectly fine.
If you're using them, gently fold in the chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with your spatula.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Honestly, waiting is the hardest part.
Notes & Tips
- 1Feel free to get creative with add-ins! Dried fruit, shredded coconut, or different spices can be lovely.
- 2If your bananas aren't quite ripe enough, you can bake them on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for about 15-20 minutes until the peels turn black.
Tools You'll Need
- •Don't overmix the batter. Lumps are your friend and ensure a tender crumb.
- •Measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off, don't scoop directly from the bag.
- •Let the loaf cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan. This helps it hold its shape.
- •If the top is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.