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Banana Bread 3 Bananas

This 3-Banana Banana Bread recipe yields a loaf that is exceptionally moist, utterly delicious, and remarkably easy to make. It's the perfect, no-fuss solution for using up those overripe bananas, transforming them into a treat that's absolutely loaded with sweet, natural banana flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Bananas: 3 large ripe bananas mashed well (should yield about 1 ½ cups of mashed banana)
  • Flour: 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Baking Powder: 2 teaspoons
  • Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon
  • Salt: ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
  • Sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Butter: ½ cup 1 stick or 113g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • Eggs: 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Buttermilk: ½ cup at room temperature, if possible
Optional Add-Ins: ½ to 1 cup of your choice, such as:
  • Chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, or dark)
  • Chopped dates or other dried fruit

Method
 

  1. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Thoroughly grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Alternatively, line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two longer sides to easily lift the bread out later. Set aside.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk or sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This helps to distribute the leavening agents evenly and aerate the flour. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar, then Add Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or even a sturdy whisk and some elbow grease!), cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. This usually takes 2-3 minutes.
  4. Beat in the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Next, gently stir in the mashed bananas and the buttermilk until just combined.
  6. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture. Mix on low speed or by hand with a spatula until just combined. Be very careful not to overmix at this stage; a few small lumps in the batter are perfectly fine. If using, gently fold in your optional add-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.) now.
  7. Bake the Banana Bread: Pour the batter evenly into your prepared loaf pan, spreading it gently to the corners.
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs attached (but no wet batter). Baking times can vary slightly depending on your oven.
  9. Cool and Serve: Once baked, remove the loaf pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. This allows it to set slightly and makes it easier to remove.
  10. After 10-15 minutes, carefully run a thin knife or spatula around the edges of the pan (if not using parchment overhang) and then invert the banana bread onto the wire rack to cool completely. For the neatest slices, it's best to wait until the bread is fully cool before slicing.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature. It's delicious on its own, or with a spread of butter, Nutella, or peanut butter. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Ripe Bananas are Key: For the best flavor and natural sweetness, use very ripe bananas (the ones with lots of brown spots). If your bananas aren't ripe enough, you can often speed up the process.
  • Fresh Leaveners: Ensure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh and not expired. Old leavening agents can result in a dense, flat loaf.
  • Don't Overmix: This is crucial for tender banana bread. Mix the wet and dry ingredients only until they are just combined. A slightly lumpy batter is better than an overmixed one. You don't want visible pockets of dry flour, but the batter doesn't need to be perfectly smooth.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk helps them incorporate more easily and evenly into the batter, leading to a better texture.