This simple banana bread recipe makes the moistest, most flavorful loaf with only one bowl and customary pantry elements: no mixer required!
My household eats a variety of bananas, so usually there are a couple of blackened ones lurking in my fruit bowl at that excellent stage of overripe sweetness. This simple banana bread recipe is the proper recipe for these brown and black bananas, as a result of it takes so little effort to make!
It requires no particular elements and no mixer: you can also make it with just one bowl. I’ve additionally devised numerous enjoyable variations, so you possibly can continuously reinvent it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve printed fairly a couple of banana bread recipes (listed here are my high 10 favorites). However this one is my favourite basic, fundamental technique. Right here’s why I adore it:
- It’s really easy: No stand mixer, no fancy methods: only a bowl and a picket spoon.
- Scrumptious taste: Melted butter provides you a wealthy, cake-like texture. The vanilla and cinnamon carry heat notes and the sweetness stage is ideal.
- Simple to customise: Make the fundamental recipe, or combine it up with brown butter, chocolate chips or a glaze.
The way to Make Simple Banana Bread
This banana bread recipe may be very easy. Right here’s a top level view of the fundamental steps (or leap to the recipe):
- Line your loaf pan with parchment paper that extends up two sides. This makes it simple to elevate the loaf out of the pan.
- Begin by mashing the bananas proper in my mixing bowl, whisk within the eggs, then stir within the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Stir within the dry elements (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon). Watch out to not overmix, which might trigger holes within the crumb.
- Bake the bread for 55 to 60 minutes, till the highest springs again when touched and the inside temperature is 200F.
Butter vs. Oil in Banana Bread
This recipe requires melted butter, however you possibly can substitute a impartial oil when you desire. Oil makes the bread even moister and provides it a barely spongier texture. I like utilizing butter as a result of it has a richer taste, however oil works particularly after I desire a dairy-free bread.
When you’re utilizing butter, you can too make brown butter banana bread, which is further scrumptious! Making browned butter by cooking the butter a couple of minutes till it turns golden brown provides nutty caramel notes to make this recipe further scrumptious.
Pan Dimension and Baking Time
This recipe works in each a 9 x 5″ and eight x 4″ loaf pan. When you’re utilizing the 8 x 4″ measurement, you might want so as to add a couple of minutes to the bake time.
The bread is finished when the highest springs again when evenly pressed and a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out with just some moist crumbs clinging to it.
Methods to Customise Your Banana Bread
This fundamental recipe may be very versatile. I really like including toasted pecans or toasted walnuts for banana nut bread. You may also add chocolate chips into the batter, plus a couple of extra sprinkled on high earlier than baking.
For a fruity model, attempt including blueberries like in my Blueberry Banana Bread. Toss 1½ cups of berries with a tablespoon of flour first to forestall them from sinking. Or try my different variations:
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for the chocolate lovers
- Bitter Cream Banana Bread for further richness
- Gluten Free Banana Bread for gluten-free diets
- Vegan Banana Bread for egg-free and dairy-free diets
You may also add a cinnamon sugar topping: combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter earlier than baking. You may also drizzle the bread (after cooling it) with my Vanilla Glaze, Maple Glaze, or the salted caramel glaze from my Brown Butter Banana Bread.
Serving Strategies
This simple banana bread served heat with a slather of softened butter or peanut butter is perfection. For breakfast, I really like pairing it with scrambled eggs and recent fruit. Or it’s a fantastic afternoon snack with a latte or cappuccino.
For a decadent brunch, attempt making Banana Bread French Toast. Or serve slices heat with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of salted caramel, and chopped pecans for a enjoyable dessert.
The way to Retailer Banana Bread
Banana bread stays recent for about 5 days at room temperature when wrapped tightly in aluminum foil. I generally refrigerate it, which extends the life to about 10 days, although the feel turns into barely denser.
For longer storage, I slice the cooled bread, wrap particular person slices in plastic wrap, then retailer them in a freezer bag. Frozen banana bread lasts as much as 3 months. You may toast slices straight from frozen for a fast breakfast, or allow them to thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Dietary Notes
This simple banana bread recipe is vegetarian. For gluten free, go to Gluten Free Banana Bread. For vegan, go to Vegan Banana Bread.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
You may! Peel and slice them earlier than freezing, then thaw them fully earlier than utilizing. They’ll launch fairly a little bit of liquid after they thaw, so be certain that to incorporate that liquid in your batter because it’s concentrated banana taste.
Often this is because of overmixing the batter. When you add the flour, stir simply till you don’t see any dry streaks: a couple of small lumps are high-quality. Overmixing develops an excessive amount of gluten, which makes the bread powerful and dense.
Additionally be sure you’re weighing your flour in grams or spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off, slightly than scooping straight from the bag — this could pack in an excessive amount of flour.
Sure! For an egg-free model, you should utilize flax eggs (1 tablespoon floor flaxseed combined with 2 ½ tablespoons water per egg, let sit for quarter-hour). Or try my Vegan Banana Bread recipe which makes use of flax eggs and oil.
This has occurred to me: it signifies underbaking. The bread wasn’t totally baked by way of, even when the highest appeared accomplished.
Truthfully to me, gently urgent the middle is the simplest approach to inform: it ought to spring again (not the toothpick check). When you’re at excessive altitude or utilizing a really ripe banana combination that’s further moist, you would possibly want so as to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time. One other trigger could be opening the oven door too early, which lets out warmth and may trigger the middle to break down.
The riper, the higher! The peels ought to be closely noticed with black and even fully black. This provides you most sweetness and that intense banana taste.
In case your bananas aren’t ripe sufficient, you possibly can pace up the method by putting them in a paper bag for a day or two.
Simple Banana Bread Recipe (One Bowl!)
This simple banana bread recipe makes the moistest, most flavorful loaf with only one bowl and customary pantry elements: no mixer required!
- Prep Time: quarter-hour
- Prepare dinner Time: 1 hour
- Complete Time: 1 hour quarter-hour
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Class: Bread
- Methodology: Baked
- Delicacies: Baked Good
- Weight loss program: Vegetarian
Substances
- 1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (4 medium bananas)
- 2Â giant eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (or ½ cup impartial oil; see Notes)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (see Notes), plus extra for topping
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups [210 g] all-purpose flour
- Elective: ¾ cup semi candy chocolate chips or ½ cup chopped nuts
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 5″ loaf pan (or 8 x 4″; see Notes). Line the pan with a chunk of parchment paper, minimize in order that it extends on two sides to simply take away the bread from the pan.
- Mash the bananas within the backside of a big bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Swap to a spatula and stir within the melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Stir within the baking soda, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Sprinkle within the flour and gently stir till simply mixed and no streaks of flour stay. (If utilizing chocolate chips or nuts, gently fold them in.)
- Pour the batter into the ready loaf pan. (If utilizing chocolate chips or nuts, sprinkle a couple of extra on high.) Bake 55 to 60 minutes*, till the highest is about and is derived again when touched, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out with a couple of clinging crumbs (or the inner temperature is 200°F).Â
- Cool within the pan for quarter-hour. Then run a knife across the edge and invert the loaf onto a cooling rack. Serve heat or at room temperature.
- Storage information: The bread lasts 5 days at room temperature wrapped in aluminum foil, refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for 3 months (slice it into items and wrap it in plastic wrap then a freezer-safe bag or container).
Notes
8 x 4″ pan: Bake the bread barely longer, about 5 to 10 minutes, till the inner temperature is 200°F.
Brown butter banana bread: As an alternative of melting the butter, brown the butter after which cool it within the freezer for quarter-hour earlier than utilizing within the bread.
Banana nut bread: Fold in ½ cup toasted pecans or toasted walnuts (I like walnuts greatest).Â
Banana blueberry bread: Toss 1 ½ cup washed and dried blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour (to forestall sinking) and fold into the batter.Â
Glaze: Strive topping the bread with maple glaze, vanilla glaze, or the salted caramel glaze from my brown butter banana bread.
