Recipe: Banana Bread, Baked at Home
Banana Bread Recipe Ingredients, Steps, Nutrition & Tips (With Video)
By Food Menu Journal Team · Researched October 2026 · Disclosure: This is a researched recipe guide, not a test kitchen report. The recipe below is compiled and fact-checked against the published recipes in Sources, and quantities and times are the consensus of those sources. Ovens and banana sizes vary, so check doneness with a toothpick.
This is the easiest banana bread recipe that still tastes like the best one: moist, buttery, packed with banana flavor, and made from ingredients you already have. Prep takes 10 to 15 minutes, the oven takes 60 to 65 minutes, and one loaf gives 10 to 12 slices that keep for days or freeze for months. Below you will find the ingredients, the steps with photos, nutrition, and the tips that keep the loaf moist. The four single-topic guides answer each big question in detail: what ingredients you need, how long it takes, making it ahead, and storing leftovers.
Recipe at a Glance
| Recipe | Banana Bread |
| Prep time | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Bake time | 60 to 65 minutes at 350°F (175°C) |
| Total time | About 1 hour 15 minutes, plus cooling |
| Pan | 9×5 inch loaf pan (8×4 inch also works) |
| Yield | 1 loaf, 10 to 12 slices |
| Storage | 3 to 4 days at room temperature, 2 to 4 months frozen |
Why This Recipe
Three of the most trusted published banana bread recipes agree on almost everything: very ripe bananas, brown sugar for moisture, butter for flavor, baking soda for lift, and a gentle hand with the batter. This recipe takes their consensus, so you get the version that thousands of bakers have already proven, with the differences between sources noted honestly instead of hidden. It is the recipe to use when spotty bananas are sitting on the counter and you want them gone in the best possible way.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ripe bananas, mashed | 1 1/2 cups (3 to 4 bananas) |
| All-purpose flour, spooned and leveled | 2 cups (250g) |
| Butter | 1/2 cup (113g), melted or softened |
| Brown sugar, packed | 3/4 cup (150g) |
| Eggs, at room temperature | 2 large |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon |
| Ground cinnamon (optional) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Greek yogurt or sour cream (optional) | 1/3 cup (80g) |
| Chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional) | 3/4 cup nuts or 1 cup chips |
Use overripe bananas, yellow with plenty of brown spots, never green. Frozen bananas work too: thaw at room temperature, drain the excess liquid, then mash without overmashing.
Steps
- Step 1. Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Set the oven rack to the lower third if your oven browns tops fast.
- Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) together.
- Step 3. Mash the bananas. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small chunks are fine.
- Step 4. Cream butter and sugar. Beat the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes with a mixer, or stir melted butter and sugar together for the one-bowl version. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas, yogurt or sour cream (if using), and vanilla.
- Step 5. Combine gently. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir on low just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if using. The batter should be thick.
- Step 6. Pan and bake. Pour and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes. Loosely cover with foil halfway through if the top browns too fast.
- Step 7. Test and cool. The loaf is done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, never wet batter. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.
Our Review
As a researched guide, the verdict is that this consensus recipe is the right default banana bread. It is moist without being dense, sweet without hiding the banana, and forgiving in every direction except two: flour measuring and overmixing. Spoon and level the flour, stir only until combined, and the loaf takes care of the rest. The yogurt or sour cream addition is the one upgrade worth adopting permanently, and day two is genuinely the best day to eat it.
Tips for a Moist Loaf
- Use bananas that are truly overripe, not just yellow.
- Do not overbake. Start checking 5 minutes early.
- Wrap the cooled loaf tightly. Wrapped bread stays moist for days.
- Toast a day-old slice to bring it back to life.
Variations
- Banana nut bread: fold in 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Chocolate chip: fold in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Muffins: fill a lined muffin pan to the top, bake 5 minutes at 425°F, then 16 to 17 minutes at 350°F, about 21 to 23 minutes total, for 15 muffins.
- Cream cheese frosting: beat 4 oz softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter, 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Spread on the cooled loaf.
Picky Eats
For picky eaters, bake it plain: no nuts, no chips, no cinnamon. A plain loaf is the base recipe, and it is the version kids reach for first. Save add-ins for a second loaf, or let each person top their own slice.
Parents’ Review & Family Tips
For families, this is a strong first bake with kids: mashing bananas is easy, there is no yeast, and the batter comes together fast. Bake two loaves at once if one never lasts a day. Slice and freeze the second loaf on baking day, and snacks are covered for weeks.
Nutrition & Carbohydrate Information
Approximate per slice, for a 12-slice loaf, based on published nutrition data for the Allrecipes banana bread: about 231 calories, 30 to 35g carbohydrates, 12 to 20g sugars, 7 to 11g fat, 2 to 4g protein, and 1 to 2g fiber. These are approximate figures, not a lab-tested panel, because each version differs. Add-ins change the numbers: nuts add about 40 to 50 calories per slice, chocolate chips about 50 to 70, and a butter or cream cheese spread adds about 70 to 100. For comparison, a coffee shop banana slice (about 115g) runs near 360 calories, so a homemade slice is usually the lighter choice.
Storage
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly and keep it at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it: wrap in 2 to 3 layers plus a freezer bag, and it keeps for 2 to 4 months. Slices thaw fastest. One note of honest disagreement between sources: Simply Recipes and Sally’s allow refrigerating for 5 days to 1 week, while Allrecipes advises against the fridge because it can dry the bread out. For a few days, room temperature wins. For longer, freeze.
What to Know Before Baking
- Use overripe bananas, never green ones.
- Spoon and level the flour, or weigh it (250g).
- Stir only until combined. Do not overmix.
- Start checking 5 minutes before the bake time ends.
- Cool completely before slicing or wrapping.
Is It Worth Making?
Yes. Fifteen minutes of work, one hour in the oven, and a loaf that tastes better on day two and freezes for months. It is the best answer to spotty bananas, and the recipe most bakers come back to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ingredients do I need for banana bread?
Ripe bananas, flour, butter, sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. The detailed guide is What Ingredients Do I Need for Banana Bread Recipe?
How long does banana bread take to make?
About 1 hour 15 minutes: 10 to 15 minutes prep and 60 to 65 minutes baking, plus about 1 hour cooling. The detailed guide is How Long Does Banana Bread Recipe Take to Make?
Can I make banana bread ahead of time?
Yes. It tastes best on day 2, and it freezes for 2 to 4 months. The detailed guide is Can I Make Banana Bread Recipe Ahead of Time?
How do I store banana bread leftovers?
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly. It keeps 3 to 4 days at room temperature and 2 to 4 months in the freezer. The detailed guide is How Do I Store Leftovers?
Why is my banana bread dry?
Usually too much flour (from scooping instead of spooning and leveling) or overbaking. Measure flour by weight or spoon and level, and start checking 5 minutes early.
Related Food Guides
- What Ingredients Do I Need for Banana Bread Recipe?
- How Long Does Banana Bread Recipe Take to Make?
- Can I Make Banana Bread Recipe Ahead of Time?
- How Do I Store Leftovers?
Sources & Review Notes
Researched recipe guide. Ingredients, steps, times, storage, and nutrition were cross-checked in October 2026 against: Simply Recipes, Banana Bread (simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread), the site’s most popular recipe for over 10 years; Allrecipes, Banana Banana Bread (allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread), tested by the Allrecipes Test Kitchen; and Sally’s Baking Addiction, My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe (sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-banana-bread-recipe), updated August 2026, including its 2025 retest that reduced mashed bananas from 2 cups to 1 and 1/2 cups. Where sources differ (pan size, fridge advice, freezer life), the range or both sides are given. Nutrition figures are approximate, compiled from published data for the Allrecipes version, and vary with add-ins. No bake test is claimed.
