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Easy Homemade Banana Bread

This Easy Homemade Banana Bread isn't just a recipe; it's an invitation to pure comfort. Picture a loaf that's impossibly moist, incredibly tender, and bursting with authentic banana flavor – perfectly sweet without being overwhelming. Each slice boasts a beautifully golden-brown crust giving way to a soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Get ready to experience the simple joy of baking and the even greater joy of savoring a slice (or two!) of this truly delicious homemade classic.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups 188g all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • A scant 1/4 teaspoon salt slightly less than 1/4 tsp
  • 3/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or a generous 1/4 teaspoon
  • 6 Tablespoons 3/8 cup; 85g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon approx. 9 Tbsp total; 113g packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup 60g plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/8 cups approx. 260g mashed bananas (about 3 medium or 2-3 very ripe large bananas)
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Optional: A generous 1/2 cup approx. 75g chopped pecans or walnuts

Method
 

  1. Preheat & Prep Pan: Adjust your oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 350°F (177°C). This lower rack placement helps prevent the top from over-browning. Thoroughly grease an 8.5x4.5-inch metal loaf pan (or a 9x5-inch pan, noting the loaf will be slightly shorter) with nonstick spray or butter and flour. Set aside.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Cream Butter & Sugar, Add Wet Ingredients:
  4. Using a handheld or stand mixer (paddle or whisk attachment), beat the softened butter and brown sugar on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to medium. Add the whole egg and beat well until incorporated. Then, add the egg yolk and beat again until just combined.
  6. Beat in the plain yogurt (or sour cream), mashed bananas, and vanilla extract until everything is just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  7. Combine Wet & Dry: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix only until no flour pockets remain. Crucially, do not over-mix; over-mixing can result in a tough bread.
  8. Add Nuts (Optional): If using, gently fold in the chopped pecans or walnuts with a spatula until evenly distributed.
  9. Bake the Bread: Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly.
  10. Bake for 50-60 minutes. If you notice the top of the bread browning too quickly (often around the 30-35 minute mark for this size), loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
  11. The bread is fully baked when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Begin checking for doneness around the 45-50 minute mark, as oven temperatures and pan materials can affect baking time.
  12. Cool Properly: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes.
  13. After this initial cooling, carefully invert the loaf onto the wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving. This prevents a soggy bottom.
  14. Storage: Once completely cool, cover and store the banana bread at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Many find the flavor even better on the second day as the ingredients meld. (Refer to original recipe notes for freezing instructions if desired.)

Notes

  • Important Update (2025 - Banana Quantity): Based on extensive retesting due to reader feedback about the bread sometimes being overly moist/dense, we've adjusted the mashed banana quantity. The recipe now calls for 1 and 1/2 cups (down from a previous 2 cups) for a consistently better bake and texture.
  • Butter:
    • Salted Butter: You can use salted butter instead of unsalted with no other changes needed.
    • Reduced Butter: For a slightly lighter version, the butter can be successfully reduced to 6 Tablespoons (85g).
  • Brown Sugar & Sweetness:
    • This bread has a balanced sweetness. For a sweeter loaf, increase brown sugar to 1 cup (200g).
    • You can substitute brown sugar with an equal amount of white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Liquid sweeteners are not recommended.
  • Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional):
    • This bread is delicious with cream cheese frosting!
    • To make: Beat 4 oz (112g) softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup (60g) softened unsalted butter until smooth. Mix in 1 cup (120g) confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Spread on the completely cooled loaf.
  • Banana Bread Muffins:
    • This recipe yields approximately 15 muffins.
    • Fill lined or greased muffin cups to the top with batter.
    • Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 5 minutes, then, without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 16–17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Total bake time: ~21–23 minutes. The initial high heat helps create taller muffins.
    • (Alternatively, try my quick & easy banana muffins recipe.)
  • Sour Cream/Yogurt Substitutions:
    • If you don't have sour cream or plain yogurt, you can substitute with an equal amount (1/3 cup for the original recipe, adjust if scaling) of:
      • Additional mashed banana
      • Unsweetened applesauce
      • Canned pumpkin purée
  • Using Frozen Bananas:
    • Frozen bananas work well. Thaw them completely, then drain off any excess liquid. Mash (some chunks are fine – avoid over-mashing into a liquid) and use as instructed.
    • (See "How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking" for more detailed tips.)
  • Chocolate Chips (Optional): Feel free to add up to 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips. These can be used in addition to, or instead of, nuts.
  • Bundt Cake Version: This recipe does not yield enough batter for a standard Bundt cake. For a Bundt version, I recommend using my very similar, but scaled-up, recipe for Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake (the chocolate swirl is optional in that recipe).