Best Ever Banana Bread is an easy recipe for a buttery banana bread. Flavored with a hint of cinnamon, our easy bread recipe is made in one bowl with basic ingredients you most likely have on hand in your kitchen!
Best Ever Banana Bread
The aroma of sweet bananas with cinnamon and sugar is swirling around my kitchen as I write this blog post. And honestly, there's nothing quite like that sweet smell in your kitchen as this quick bread recipe bakes in your oven!
A favorite of my grandson Matt, he always says this is the “best banana bread recipe ever”! And I think he might just be right because every bite is truly a little taste of heaven.
He also says that “GG is the best cooker”. He’s my personal little fan club!
Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon sweet treat with a cup of tea, a slice of this sweetness makes me happy every time.
And the best part, it’s made in one bowl with basic ingredients you most likely have on hand in your kitchen.
Just a few minutes of stirring ingredients together and a bit of time in the oven and this quick bread will be yours to savor, although it won't be easy waiting for it to cool!
A one bowl banana bread, don't you just love that?
If you prefer a muffin (or two) then Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins is the recipe for you. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, they are ah-mazing!
And did you know that bananas are high in:
- fiber
- magnesium
- potassium
- protein
- vitamin B12
- vitamins B6
So go ahead. Eat that slice of your banana loaf because it's good for you! And it's a fabulously delicious way to use up those ripening bananas.
Hot out of the oven and still cooling in it's pan, my buttery banana bread is always welcome around here. But I will admit, I do find it hard to resist while it’s cooling!
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Oh, and did I mention that Best Ever Banana Bread tastes great toasted with a smear of butter or cream cheese too! Be sure to check out this 9″ x 5″ loaf pan by Wilton. It's a favorite of mine!
Do you love chocolate and bananas together? Be sure to bake up a loaf of our Chocolate Banana Bread. You'll be happy you did!
How to make banana bread
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
- In bowl combine bananas, butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until blended.
- Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until just combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake 1 hour. Loosely cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 20 minutes. Taking bread out of pan sooner might cause it to fall apart!
- Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Stir in chocolate chips
- Add toasted shredded coconut
- Make in mini loaf pans
- Combine confectioners sugar and milk for a sweet glaze to drizzle over your cooled banana loaf
- Be sure your butter is nice and soft for easy stirring
- It’s important to let your banana cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes so that it doesn’t fall apart when you take it out of the loaf pan
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly
Bananas not ripe yet? No problem. Here's a simple trick for how to ripen bananas in the oven ripening up bananas quickly!
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Bake bananas in their skins on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until skins have blackened
- Cool slightly and scoop banana out of skins.
Ingredients for one bowl banana bread
- ripe bananas – add sweetness, flavor and moistness
- butter – adds sweet dairy notes
- eggs – give structure to your bread
- brown sugar – provide a sweetness with a depth of flavor
- vanilla extract -rounds out flavors
- all-purpose flour – use all purpose flour or half all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour
- ground cinnamon – an aromatic spice
- baking soda – reacts with the brown sugar to make this quick bread rise
- salt – makes the flavors pop
Banana Recipes
Love anything and everything banana? Then be sure to try these easy recipes with bananas too!
Chunky Monkey Banana Bread Pudding is an easy recipe that’s bursting with fresh bananas, chocolate chunks and walnuts making this bread pudding the perfect brunch or dessert indulgence. Top with whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream and you’ll be in heaven with every bite!
Breakfast was never easier than with Sheet Pan Banana Bread Pancakes, pancakes that bake in the oven while you're getting ready for your day!
Slow Cooker Banana Coconut Oatmeal cooks while you sleep! Wake up to a delicious and creamy cinnamon oats breakfast that's easy to make and full of nutrition!
Best Ever Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 3 large bananas
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
- In bowl combine bananas, butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until blended.
- Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt until just combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake 1 hour. Loosely cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan 20 minutes. Taking bread out of pan sooner might cause it to fall apart!
- Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Stir in chocolate chips
- Add toasted shredded coconut
- Make in mini loaf pans
- Combine confectioners sugar and milk for a sweet glaze to drizzle over your cooled banana loaf
- Be sure your butter is nice and soft for easy stirring
- It’s important to let your banana cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes so that it doesn’t fall apart when you take it out of the loaf pan
How To Ripen Bananas Quickly
Bananas not ripe yet? No problem. Here's a simple trick for how to ripen bananas in the oven ripening up bananas quickly!- Preheat oven to 350F
- Bake bananas in their skins on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes or until skins have blackened
- Cool slightly and scoop banana out of skins.
Nutrition
First Published: January 11, 2018... Last Updated: August 19, 2021 for better readability and user experience
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