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This easy banana bread recipe is melt in your mouth good! Ripe bananas and walnuts make it sweet and nutty. You only need one bowl too!
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Did you know? Banana bread was popularized in cookbooks during the 1930's. Ingredients like baking powder and baking soda were manufactured in large quantities and widely available at stores in North America.
Why you'll love this banana bread recipe
- Easy classic banana bread recipe for any baking level.
- Slightly sweet with a perfectly tender crumb.
- One mixing bowl means less dishes to wash.
- An electric mixer is optional – you only need a stirring utensil.
- Bananas can be barely ripe, overripe, or even black.
- This banana bread is super moist, fluffy, and delicious.
- Serve for special occasions or breakfast on the go.
Ingredient notes
- unsalted butter - If using salted butter, you may wish to reduce the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
- sugar - This recipe uses about ⅔ less sugar than many classic banana bread recipes, which makes it perfect for breakfast or a snack.
- overripe bananas - Bananas with spotty skin are usually considered overripe. But, the darker the skin, the sweeter the banana.
- buttermilk - Use store bought or make your own buttermilk by combining 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice. It thickens as it rests. You can also substitute equal amount of whole milk Greek yogurt.
- all purpose flour - Feel free to use a blend of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour for this recipe – it's forgiving.
- baking soda - Don't confuse this with baking powder.
- walnuts - These add nutty flavor and texture to banana bread. Of course, they're optional or can be substituted with other nuts.
How to make moist banana bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.
Step 1. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add bananas and mash ingredients together until the mixture is creamy or lumpy to your liking.
Step 2. Add beaten eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and salt. Stir until well-combined. Add flour and baking soda. Stir just until the flour is halfway moistened. A silicone spatula or even this dough whisk work wonders for stirring batter.
Step 3. Fold in walnuts and stir batter just until flour is fully moistened, so you don't over mix. This lumpy batter turns into a delicious banana bread loaf, I promise!
Step 4. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan, sprinkle the top with walnut crumbs, and bake 50-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Pro tip: Allow banana bread to cool completely to prevent it from falling apart.
Recipe tips and variations
- If using frozen bananas for banana bread, thaw the bananas completely and add ¼ cup flour to offset any extra moisture.
- Use bananas with dark spots or dark streaks on the skin. The more spots, the softer, riper, and sweeter the banana will be. Black bananas are wonderful in this recipe!
- Walnuts can be substituted with other nuts or omitted entirely.
- Use room temperature dairy ingredients to help the batter mix more efficiently.
- When combining the wet and dry ingredients into batter, don't over mix, especially if you like fluffy banana bread.
- You'll know when banana bread has finished baking if 1) a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or 2) when the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer.
- Allow banana bread to cool completely before slicing, otherwise it falls apart. To enjoy it warm, I recommend toasting it just before serving.
Storage tips
It's important to store banana bread in a way that keeps it moist, yet prevents molding. To do this, allow it to cool completely, then store in an airtight container up to 5 days. I recommend refrigerating banana bread if you live in a humid environment.
Can I freeze banana bread?
Yes! To freeze banana bread, allow it to cool completely. Place individual slices or whole loaf in an airtight container and freeze up to 90 days. Thaw for several hours in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature.
More sweet recipes
- Chocolate Banana Bread is for chocolate lovers. It's rich, fluffy, and so comforting.
- Easy Pumpkin Bars are so good, you'll want to make them even when it's not pumpkin season!
- Make these grown up Rice Krispie Treats with Brown Butter and watch them disappear!
- Instant yeast cinnamon rolls belong next to banana bread on the brunch table.
- Banana muffins are the compact version of banana bread. They bake and cool in half the time!
- This ultra moist zucchini bread with blueberries is perfect for when summer produce is going strong.
- Cranberry walnut bread is a semi-sweet yeast bread perfect around the holidays and all through the baking season.
📖 Recipe
Ultra Moist Banana Bread Recipe
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Video
When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
- ½ cup Sugar
- 3 Overripe Bananas, about 1 cup mashed
- 2 Eggs, room temperature, beaten
- ¼ cup Buttermilk (*see recipe note) or Milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ cup Walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and center your oven rack. Coat a baking loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together BUTTER and SUGAR.
- Add BANANAS and use a vegetable masher to mash the bananas. You can make it smooth or lumpy.
- Add EGGS, BUTTERMILK, VANILLA, and SALT. Stir to combine.
- Add FLOUR and BAKING SODA, stir until flour is about halfway absorbed into batter.
- Add WALNUTS and gently stir until flour is fully absorbed. Don't over-mix.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-65 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 50 minutes. Banana bread is done when a toothpick comes out clean or it registers 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Then, remove it from the pan and transfer it to the rack to cool completely.
- To store, allow banana bread to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 5 days. I recommend refrigerating in humid climates.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- potato masher or fork to mash bananas
- dough whisk or silicone spatula for stirring
- cooking spray
Staci says
(Double batch). I made this vegan by using 2 sticks of vegan butter (only had 2 left) & 6 oz of canola oil, chia eggs and coconut/cashew yogurt.
It was Amazing! Only thing is if you use oil add extra salt.
I will be adding this to my repertoire.
Traci says
Awesome! I'm so happy you could make it all your own and I'm sure it will help any plant-based readers. Thanks so much and enjoy!
Sam Tiffany says
Delicious! Loved the ingredients, healthy and not alot of sugar. Real Food.
Traci says
Awww, so glad you enjoyed it! That’s exactly what I love about it too—simple, real ingredients and just the right amount of sweetness. Thanks for sharing! 💛
CAB says
Is was delish. Just to healthy-ize a bit I subbed whole wheat flour. Worked out well.
Traci says
Glad you enjoyed it! Love that you made it work for your needs. The flour swap is great! Thanks for sharing!
Starlene says
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk and how much ??????
Traci says
Hi there, I haven't tested this, but I know that Greek yogurt is thicker than buttermilk. So you may need to experiment and thin it slightly with milk or water for the right consistency. Let me know if you end up trying it. Enjoy!!
Steph V says
So nice to find a recipe that’s not overloaded with sugar! Texture is fantastic and the flavor is delicious!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad to you're enjoying that it's not overly sweet as banana bread tends to be. I'm thrilled your happy all around. Thank you for trying my recipe and for leaving this feedback. Enjoy!
Denise says
So good!
Traci says
Perfect!! I'm thrilled to hear it. Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback. Enjoy!
Annie says
I made this banana bread and I have to say we were pretty disappointed. It did not taste like banana bread and it wasn’t moist at all! It was very dry. I’ve been on a search for a good moist and banana flavored bread, and sad to say this was not it. The disappointing thing was that I made 3 loaves. Back to the old drawing board.
Traci says
Oh no! That's not typical for this recipe. It’s well-known for being super moist! In my industry experience, the two most common reasons banana bread doesn’t turn out are 1) incorrect oven temperature (an oven thermometer is a must!) and 2) not using truly overripe bananas, which are essential for flavor and moisture. Keep those in mind with any banana bread recipe you decide to use and know that I'm always here for troubleshooting! xoxo
Kim says
This is a great recipe for banana bread. Very easy to make, simple ingredients, and taste delicious. Will be making this again.
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad to hear you went for it. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I'm glad you enjoyed! Cheers!
Lori says
I'd like to make this recipe and bake it in a bundt pan. What, if any, baking time and temperature needs to be changed?
Traci says
Hi there, I've only baked it in the loaf pan, but I would most likely use the same time and temp, but monitor it during the last 15 minutes or so, in the event that it sets sooner. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks and enjoy!
Deb says
What size is the loaf pan?
Traci says
Hi there! It's a standard 1-pound loaf pan with measurements of 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75. It's linked in the recipe card equipment section if you want more details. Let me know if I can help you further. Thanks and enjoy!!
Brigitta Tav says
Still in the oven, but it smells amazing
Traci says
Yay! Hope you love it as much as we do 🙂 It never lasts more than 36 hours LOL. Thanks for going for it! Enjoy!!
Elaine Hicks says
Its in the oven now. Looking good can't wait to have some. The recipe was quick and easy to follow
Traci says
Yay! Glad you went for it 🙂 Hope you love it as much as we do. Thanks!
Elaine Hicks says
It was delicious getting ready to make another one already. The family loves it.
Traci says
Yayyyy! I'm so glad you love it and are going back for more 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback - much appreciated!
Sandie says
Used this recipe instead of my old tried and true...so moist!!! My picky eater daughter loved it, this is my new go-to for banana bread 🍌
The Kitchen Girl says
Yessss! This makes me so happy to hear 🙂 I'm glad you gave it a go and thanks so much for letting me know 🍌💛
JB says
I don't think I've ever had such a moist banana bread. Love it that this can be made in one bowl too because I am the dishwasher lol. Seriously so good, Kitchen Girl! Can't get enough!
Marianna says
This is an excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing! I didn't have buttermilk so I used your tip and added vinegar. I omitted the walnuts (because I didn't have any) and added chocolate chips, roasted sunflower seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds. I also doubled the recipe to make 2 loaves. They're already going fast!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Sounds like you customized it perfectly. Banana bread does lend itself to that. I'm so glad you enjoyed and thanks for the feedback 🙂 Cheers!
Leanna says
Thank you so much for sharing! I thought I had walnuts on hand, but didn't, along with buttermilk so I substituted with milk and a dash of lemon juice for the acidity. The batter was so tasty, and is in the oven ...my entire house smells delicious.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! You're so welcome and I'm happy to inspire 🙂 I love the buttermilk substitution and I do it regularly. Thanks for stopping back by to let me know. Enjoy!
Ellie says
What size loaf pan did you use for the banana bread?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, I used a Kaiser pan in the recipe video which is roughly equivalent to a 9 x 5 x 3 pan for a 1 lb. loaf. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks and enjoy! 🙂
Jackie says
This is very good! I did add an extra banana and mashed to a more lumpy consistency to add a bit more banana flavor. They turned out perfect! Thank you for the recipe that will now be our all the time banana bread recipe! ♥️
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed and thanks for taking the time to leav feedback 🙂
Peggy says
I made this recipe for Banana Bread today and it is really good. Thanks for putting recipe out for others.❤️
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome, Peggy. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Beth Sachs says
I loved the texture that the walnuts gave this yummy banana bread. The whole family loved it.
The Kitchen Girl says
Perfect! So glad to hear it...thanks for stopping back by and letting me know! 🙂
HEATHER PERINE says
So good and so moist! The buttermilk makes for an awesome moist banana bread...making this again for sure. 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you love this banana bread as much as we do 🙂 Love the buttermilk too! Thanks!
Chris Collins says
This looks so heavenly! I've got a whole load of bananas that need using up so I'll definitely be giving this bread a go 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome Chris! Hope you love it like we do!!
rika says
I love how easy it is to make. And the walnut gives a nice crunch to the bread!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you love banana walnut bread too! Thanks!
Gail Montero says
I love banana bread and you totally nailed it with this one.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad you think so! Thanks 🙂
Jeff says
This really is THE BEST banana bread recipe we've made! You said it first and I say DITTO to the fact that it literally melts in your mouth. Thanks for working so hard to dial in this recipe
The Kitchen Girl says
Awwww, I'm so glad you love this banana bread recipe as much as I do 🙂