This one-bowl easy banana bread recipe is perfectly sweet, super moist, and ready in 1 hour. It is everybody’s favorite way to use up spotted brown bananas instead of letting them go bad sitting on the counter!
My family goes in spurts of eating so many bananas that I’m always having to go to the store for more, or completely ignoring them so I end up with a bunch of overripe, spotted bananas sitting on the counter. When that happens, the first thing I think to make is homemade banana bread!
Banana bread is as delicious as it smells and my tried-and-true version will have your tastebuds salivating while it’s still baking in the oven. A slice of moist, warm banana bread fresh from the oven with a little butter or jam makes a great snack, breakfast food, or treat.
If you have lots of overripe bananas, this bread is a winner! Or try our delicious Banana Bars or Banana Cake with Brown Butter Frosting.
Why you’ll love this classic banana bread recipe!
It can be made by hand in one bowl with one spoon in under 10 minutes. Kids love to help with this one by peeling and mashing the soft bananas, measuring, and stirring. And it’s easily customizable by throwing in chocolate chips, walnuts, or cinnamon chips.
If you need any more convincing, just read the dozens of 5-star reviews after the recipe. Once you have tried this easy banana bread recipe you will never go back to any other.
What You’ll Need
Gather your ingredients before you start baking for a streamlined, stress-free process. You can find the full measurements for each ingredient in the printable recipe card.
- All-purpose flour: I like regular unbleached flour, but have also done ⅓ whole wheat flour with 2/3 all-purpose flour.
- Spotted bananas: As bananas ripen they develop more natural sugars, making them naturally sweeter.
- Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter on hand, you can just add an additional ¼ teaspoon of salt to the recipe below.
- Sugar: I like to use granulated sugar for the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Ground cinnamon: It’s a small amount meant just to add depth and warmth while still letting the real banana flavor shine through without being overpowered.
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla: These common baking ingredients give the loaf lift and balanced flavor.
- Egg: Adds richness and contributes to the proper texture of the crumb of this quick loaf.
- Mix-ins: You can use whatever mix-ins you like best or enjoy the loaf plain. Chocolate chips or walnuts are my personal favorite.
How to Make Banana Bread
This is a step-by-step overview of the process with photos so you can know how the banana bread batter is supposed to come together. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Mash the bananas: Peel the bananas and add them to a large mixing bowl. Mash them with a fork until only small chunks remain, but don’t worry about it being perfectly smooth.
- Add butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs: No need to break out a mixer for this. Just stir everything together by hand with a sturdy spoon until combined.
- Add dry ingredients: Over the top of your batter, sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and flour so that they are all evenly distributed, then stir by hand just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Add mix-ins: If you are adding chocolate chips or walnuts, stir them in at the end. It’s important not to overmix the batter with quick breads so the loaf doesn’t turn out dense and dry. You just don’t want pockets of dry ingredients or streaks of flour showing up.
- Bake: Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Remove the bread from oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before turning the bread carefully out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling before slicing and serving.
How old can bananas be for banana bread?
The best banana bread is made with overly ripe bananas. You can tell bananas are overripe when they turn deep yellow and get brown giraffe spots all over them. Even almost completely black bananas are still good for banana bread.
You can speed up the banana ripening process by placing several bananas and an apple inside of a brown paper bag, closing the top and letting them sit on the counter for a day or two. The gases released will speed up the banana ripening process using this method.
Or if you don’t already happen to have ripe bananas on hand and can’t wait for your underripe bananas to ripen fully, you can help the process along by sticking the bananas in the oven for a little bit. Just place them whole (with peel intact) on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for about 20 minutes, then cool, peel, and use in this recipe as normal.
Amy’s Recipe Tips
- Bake until a skewer comes out clean. A toothpick really isn’t long enough to accurately test a loaf of banana bread. A wooden skewer or sharp knife is a better testing tool to tell whether the banana bread is done all the way through.
- Make it your own! Feel free to add your favorite mix-ins or sprinkle the top of your banana bread with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a streusel before baking to change things up.
- You can freeze your overripe bananas. Got brown bananas but can’t make your banana bread just now? Peel them and throw them in the freezer in a ziploc bag. They will look terrible when you eventually remember to take them out, but they will work just great when you thaw them!
Can you freeze banana bread?
Yes! You can freeze banana bread! You can either slice it first and freeze the slices individually so you can easily enjoy banana bread whenever you want, or you can freeze entire loaves for later consumption.
To freeze a loaf of banana bread, let it cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziploc bag, then stick it in your freezer. That’s it!
To freeze individual slices of banana bread (something I like to do because it makes it easy to stick into school lunches or give the kids for breakfast on busy days), lay individual slices flat on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 1-2 hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe ziploc bag and stick them back in the freezer.
For best quality, enjoy it within 2 to 3 months, although honestly I’ve dug a loaf out of the freezer 6 months down the road and it’s still pretty darn good.
How to Make Banana Bread FAQs
One cup of mashed bananas is usually about 2 medium bananas. Ultimately you want about 2 cups of mashed banana for this recipe, which is usually 3 big or 4 medium bananas, but it’s a pretty forgiving recipe and I have made this recipe dozens of times for years without measuring the exact amount of bananas.
Sure, if you have bread flour that you want to use for banana bread you are welcome to use it and the recipe will turn out just fine without any modifications.
My banana bread recipe cooks in 50-60 minutes for a loaf made in an 8×4-inch pan. Slightly different pan dimensions might require a slight time adjustment, but generally speaking it will take about an hour to bake a loaf of banana bread.
More Quick Bread Recipes You’ll Love
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Best Easy Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 ripe bananas (about 2 cups mashed)
- 1/3 cup salted butter melted
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (212g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips, plus extra for topping if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Lightly grease and flour an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan or spray with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the melted butter, then add the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir well with a large wooden spoon.3-4 ripe bananas, ⅓ cup salted butter, ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt over the banana mixture. Stir to combine.1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add flour and walnuts or chocolate chips (if desired), and stir just until no streaks of flour remain. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.1 ½ cups (212g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slice into 10 thick slices and serve.
Video
Notes
- Storage: Store your banana bread in a ziploc bag or in another airtight container on the counter for a few days. Refrigerating it will help it last a day or two longer. But after about 5 days banana bread starts tasting stale, even if it has been wrapped tightly or kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Baking time: If your bread pans are larger or smaller than mine, your bake time might be on the shorter or longer side, respectively.
- Muffins: This banana bread recipe can also be made as muffins. Just divide between the cups of a muffin tin and bake for 20-24 minutes until muffins are done and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- This recipe can be found on page 50 of my cookbook, House of Nash Eats Everyday!
My fiancé and I agree this is the best banana bread I’ve ever made. What makes it even better is how simple it is and only having to use one bowl! Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m making it for the second time right now and it smells amazing.
I made this tonight , And let me say yummm! I made the recipe as is but added whole raspberries in the middle. So so good but the rasberries are a little sour, (which i really love about them) so may not be for everyone. I dont normally leave comments but had to because it was that good 🙂
Thank you, Shelby! I love the idea of the raspberries in this!
Making this recipe for the third time since finding it last month.
I made this for April’s quick bread challenge. It was an easy recipe to make and so yummy! We added chocolate chips!
I used a tsp of chai spice blend in place of the cinnamon. Yum!
This recipe turned out Wonderfully Delicious. I added blueberries and it was a Big hit in my house. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Please how do you incorporate the banana skin in the batter so its less chewy after its cooked? My wife really didn’t like it but she loves the one we buy in store.
Hi Keuvin! I’m sorry if the instructions weren’t clear, but you need to peel the bananas first and discard the peels rather than adding them to the banana bread batter.
*ROTF*
Best banana bread I have ever made. I’ve made it several times. Very easy to put together. I have one good hand, and I get the batter mixed perfectly. Thank you for the recipe. My next challenge is to make a banana cake. Any suggestions for a recipe would be much appreciated.
I’m so glad to hear it was so well received! I don’t have a banana layer cake, but these banana bars are basically like a banana sheet cake and they are super tasty if it looks like something you might enjoy!
My favourite banana bread recipe! I double it to make a loaf and add chocolate chips to half for muffins! Everyone loves it!
Since I tried this recipe it’s the one I go to when making banana bread 🍞😋
I have used this recipe at least 10 times in the last year…truly so easy and delicious. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe has been used so much at your house, Alex!
Best recipe–so easy and delicious! My new go to for banana bread.
Thanks!
Great recipe and so easy! I love the one-bowl prep.
Delicious recipe
I do mostly brown sugar instead of all white sugar. And add cinnamon.
I do wish you had a “jump to recipe” button. It takes quite a while to get to the ingredients list.
I’m sorry about that Alli! I actually have had a jump to recipe button for years but am in the process of a technical change on the backend of my site. They will be back up by next week!
I loved this banana bread and I have tried quite a few recipes but yours has something special. Maybe it’s the baking powder which most recipes don’t have. Anyway it tastes wonderful!
One more great recipe looks so delicious, my entire family loved it, I will definitely try your recipe, looks seem easy to make. Five stars for you and thanks so much for this guide.
Followed recipe to a tee and it turned out perfectly. Thank you for the awesome instructions.
I make a vegan version of this at least once a month and EVERYONE loves it!! Substitute dairy free yogurt for egg and I use dairy free butter. It’s amazing. THANK U FOR THIS SUPER SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS RECIPE!!
This bread was awesome! I made 4 mini loafs w 8 bananas (doubled the recipe). I like vanilla and cinnamon so added a little extra of each. Cooked for 40 min and they came out moist and soft.
Could you double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan instead of the loaf pan
I don’t see why not! I haven’t tried it, but I think that would work just fine. It’s a really versatile banana bread recipe.
Yum!!
This really is the best banana bread recipe, it comes out perfectly each time and by now I can make it almost by memory. I do check it around 45 minutes with a wooden toothpick just to make sure I don’t overcook it. Simple to make and really as good as mom’s recipe.
Absolute best Banana bread ever and easy – also I used pecans and dark chocolate chips. The only problem is that I just made it this afternoon and it is half gone.
Looking forward to making this again I might make it my Christmas give away to neighbours and family.
The best banana bread recipe!!!!! Easy.
Been making this banana bread for the past two years. Tried a lot of other recipes in between but keep coming back to this one. It’s honestly the BEST no-fail, classic, perfectly moist and simplest banana bread recipe I have ever made.
Every once in awhile I’ll tweak it here and there by adding in some walnuts or chocolate chips, or a little bit of maple syrup, substituting with brown sugar or even a dollop of sour cream… no matter what it still turns out perfect. Although the recipe is perfect as is, love that it adapts well to whatever I have on hand or add in. Hands down a recipe everyone should have saved.
This was the best banana bread recipe I have ever made. It was easy, quick, and had the perfect texture and flavor. It’s definitely a keeper!
Everyone I’ve shared this bread with has loved it. I have found that I’d your bananas are ripe but you’re not ready to bake, I throw them in the freezer. The skin turns black, but I think it makes the banana bread even moister. If using the very small pans, it take about 25 minutes to bake
I make this recipe into muffins, so easy, so delicious. One bowl! (I do cut the sugar down to a little less than half a cup) I use silicon muffin cups and they just pop out.
The bread was fluffy, and it tasted so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this recipe exactly as written, using 4 bananas and the extra nuts for topping. It was easy and turned out perfectly moist and oh so yummy. Definitely a keeper!
This banana bread was so easy! My husband and I loved it with pecans. Will definitely make it again and again! Thank you so much!
Came out great!! Added pecans & extra cinnamon, love cinnamon. Shared it & everyone enjoyed it. Keeping this recipe.
Thanks!!
Absolutely delicious! Don’t tell anyone but it’s better than my Mom’s…..and hers is fabulous! Added 1/2 tsp nutmeg and used pecans instead of walnuts. I’ve made it 3 times now and my husband keeps asking me to make it again!
Lol, I promise I’ll keep your secret. So glad you love it and I’m going to have to try the nutmeg!
This is the best banana bread ever! My family just loves it. I always have to make 2 of them.
Absolutely Delicious!
Just made this banana bread this afternoon.
Grandkids gobbled it up warm after school.
It wasn’t until a couple hours later that I found the 1/3c butter in the microwave 🤣😂.
If it was that good without the butter I can only imagine how good it will be when I make it and include all the ingredients lol
Thanks Amy, for the yummy recipe.
This is the best banana bread. My family loves it. I also have to make 2 of them!!!
I have made this twice, once each in 2 different ovens. I used an oven thermometer to make sure they were accurate. I did not change any ingredients. I thought the first loaf was dry, so I tried it again and took it out sooner. Honestly I thought it wasn’t done in the middle. But it was done and still dry! I don’t know what else to do. It has a good taste, but it is not moist. I love the ease of the recipe, but probably won’t try it again unless someone has a suggestion as to how to correct the dryness.
Everyone loves this recipe. I make it in three small loaf pans so I can give away or put in the freezer
BEST BANANA BREAD EVER!
Aunt Betty’s 70 year old banana bread recipe was retired after 50 years of using it!!!!
This banana bread recipe is my new go-to..
Easy & delicious….
You can definitely teach a 70 plus gal some new tricks!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe
Great recipe! Super easy and delicious! Everyone loved it!! Will definitely be making it again!
Hi all! I really was happy with this moist & flavorful recipe! I used 1/2 cup unsalted butter and before baking added cinnamon sugar right on top. It made a nice topping and there was a crust on the bottom that was so delightful!
I love this banana bread. Thanks so much. Oh, and my favorite is walnuts😁 I started making this when the world stopped. I used to throw my bananas away but when we went on lockdown, I didn’t throw anything away. I was always afraid to bake. Thanks for making it easy.
So glad you love this as much as we do (and yay for another walnut fan!).
This is by far the best recipe I’ve ever used for banana bread. Every time I make the bread, I get so many compliments. It’s my husband’s favorite. I did away with the other recipes I had for banana bread. 🙂
I made 6 loaves of this to feed the college cross country team and it was a HUGE hit!! It got more compliments than any other part of the meal. Thanks for the recipe!!
I love that you fed the college cross country team! So amazing!
this easy and delish! I added a cup of chocolate chips at the end of mixing….this recipe is staying in the rotation…
Omg!!! Love this recipe. Added some white chocolate chips.
Yummmmm
Thank you for the recipe, I added yellow raisins, and they are very very yummy 😋 again, Thank you for sharing this recipe .
Love this recipe, although I make it into muffins, with just 20 minutes in the oven.
I’m a cook at the local senior center and I’m making this for lunch for my people today. 💕
I have a 12 count mini loaf pan. How long would you suggest in the oven? Love to try to make for gifts.
For a mini loaf pan I would start checking around 16-18 minutes.