Easy Banana Bread Recipe

square image of classic banana bread with three slices cut.

Course: Bread and Baked Goods

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 10

Servings: slices

Calories: 203cal

Author: Ashley Fehr

This is the ONLY Banana Bread Recipe you'll ever need! This moist, fluffy yet dense quick bread is flavored with the perfect amount of mashed bananas. Ten minutes of prep and an hour of baking is all you need to make the perfect banana bread

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Ingredients

4 ripe bananas (450-475 grams peeled or 1 ¾ cup mashed)
⅔ cup granulated sugar (133 grams)
½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (85 grams)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a loaf pan with non stick spray (I use a glass loaf pan that measures 8×4" at the bottom and 9×5" at the top — a 1.5 quart capacity)
In a large bowl, mash bananas well.
Whisk in sugar, melted butter and yogurt. Add eggs and vanilla and stir until combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir just until there are no more white streaks.
Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes. When golden on top, cover lightly with a piece of foil and continue baking until a toothpick comes out clean, about 10-20 more minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a cooling rack or cutting board.

Notes

Weighing your bananas:

*If your mashed bananas are less than 475 grams (or 1 ¾ cups) you can add extra Greek yogurt or unsweetened applesauce to make up the missing amount, so that you have the right ratio of wet to dry ingredients (and a moist banana bread!)
Leftovers:

Baked and cooled banana bread will last in an airtight container, ziplock bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To enjoy again, simply microwave to warm if frozen or serve at whatever temperature you like!

Optional additions:

Cinnamon or spices: I often add cinnamon to banana bread -- 1/2 teaspoon should do it. You can also add cloves, ginger, allspice or a bit of nutmeg for warmth.
Chocolate chips or nuts: always a good option! I use about 1 cup in this recipe.
Fresh fruit: for example, fresh blueberries or chopped strawberries. I do not recommend using frozen fruit as it will add too much moisture to the banana bread. About 1 cup.

Subsitutions:

Flour: you can use part or all whole wheat flour in this recipe without any changes -- I often do!
Butter: you can substitute the butter for a neutral flavored oil at a 1:.75 ratio (so instead of half cup butter, you need roughly 1/3 cup.
Greek yogurt: you can sub the yogurt for unsweetened applesauce if that's what you have on hand.

Nutrition