Banana Bread Recipe, Yum yum!
Moist and delicious banana bread recipe. Easy to make, no need for a mixer! Ripe bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda, and flour.
This banana bread has been the most popular recipe on Simply Recipes for over 10 years. Thousands of people make it every day. Why?
Because it really is the best banana bread recipe, period. You can mix everything in one bowl, you can vary the amount of sugar or bananas. And the secret to its great flavor? Melted butter.
The beauty of this banana bread recipe is you don’t need a fancy mixer! A mixing bowl, a fork to whisk the eggs and a sturdy spoon to mix the batter are all you need. The sugar amount is flexible. The original recipe called for a cup of white sugar, but most people, including me, do just fine with 3/4 of a cup, and many are happy with a 1/2 cup.
You can toss in a cup of chopped nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips if you want, or put the batter into muffin tins and make banana nut muffins instead. You can even go a step further and make chocolate banana bread.
Banana Bread Recipe
- 10 minutes
- 55 minutes
- Makes one loaf
No need for a mixer for this recipe! Clean-up is easy too, if you want, you can mix everything in one mixing bowl.
The best bananas to use for banana bread are those that are over-ripe. The yellow peels should be at least half browned, and the bananas inside squishy and browning.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 to 3 very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed)
- 1/3 cup melted butter, unsalted or salted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8 inch loaf pan.
2 In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth. Stir the melted butter into the mashed bananas.
3 Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour.
4 Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350°F (175°C), or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
5 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving. Slice and serve. (A bread knife helps to make slices that aren't crumbly.)
HOW TO STORE FRESH BAKED BANANA BREAD
The best place to store banana bread you’re planning to eat right away is on the counter-top. Never store it in the refrigerator. A refrigerator circulates cool air, which removes moisture and can prematurely dry breads and cakes.
Place your cooled loaf on a plate and cover it in plastic wrap, or store it in an airtight container. Store it for up to four days on your counter.
HOW TO FREEZE BANANA BREAD
You can freeze slices, half loaves, or whole loaves. I prefer to wrap loaves and slices in foil, place them in a zip-top bag, remove as much air as I can, then freeze for up to four months. I find that this is enough to keep freezer burn away. (Also, you can reuse both the foil and the bag, yay!)
When testing the best ways to wrap and freeze the bread, I used plastic wrap by itself, plastic wrap and foil, and just foil. All versions were also placed in a zip-top bag. I didn’t notice any difference between the textures or taste of the bread with any of these, so use what you have on hand.
- How to Freeze Slices: Double wrap each slice individually in foil then put the wrapped slices in a zip-top bag. I double wrap slices because more of the bread’s surface is exposed, which could dry out easier than a whole loaf. Remove as much air from the bag as possible without squishing the bread. Place the bag in the freezer and remove slices as needed for a ready-made breakfast.
- How to Freeze a Half Loaf: Slice the cooled loaf in half. Wrap it in foil. Place the foil wrapped loaf in a zip-top bag, remove as much air as possible, and place it in the freezer.
- To Freeze a Whole Loaf: Wrap the whole loaf in aluminum foil. Store it in a zip-top bag. Squeeze as much air out as you can without smooshing the bread. Plop it in the freezer and save it for a rainy day. Or a sunny day. Any day, really.
Enjoy!
#FitBananasGo
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