Can I Freeze It
If youd like to freeze the banana bread, you can freeze it either in loaf form or in slices. Slices are kind of nice because you can pull out one at a time.
Wrap the bread or slices in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Then place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. The banana bread will keep for up to 4 months. When youre ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours.
- Total Time:1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield:1 loaf
How To Make The Best Banana Bread
Weve been making this classic, moist, and utterly delicious banana bread for years, and we knew we couldnt miss the opportunity to share it with you. Our recipe has no surprises youll need mashed bananas , flour, butter, brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, and spices.
We love banana nut bread, so we almost always add chopped and toasted walnuts. If you dont like to add nuts, leave them out! Its no problem.
Another option is to add chocolate chips and make chocolate chip banana bread. The chocolate banana combo is fantastic. If that excites you, you might also want to look at our banana chocolate chip muffins, packed with chocolate chips.
And since were on the subject of other banana recipes, if you are looking for something a little lighter? Check out our healthier banana bread. The recipe calls for lower sugar, olive oil instead of butter, and adds whole grains.
Okay, back to my favorite banana bread! We call this ridiculously easy because it is. If you can stir ingredients together in a bowl, you can make this quick bread. Watch our video below to see me do it.
For the best banana bread, use ripe bananas. There is no point in baking a batch of this bread unless you use ripe bananas. We want brown, speckled bananas. They can even have some soft spots. I dont think bananas can be too ripe for this recipe.
Banana Bread With Self Rising Flour Faqs
What is self-rising flour?
Self-rising flour is just as the name says, its self-rising.
Unlike all-purpose flour where you have to add additional ingredients to ensure baked goods rise properly, self rising flour already has everything you need in it.
Its made up of all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder and is a great ingredient to have on hand.
Can self-rising flour be used for banana bread?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, self-rising flour is what I use about 99% of the time in my baked goods.
You can check out all my self rising flour recipes over here, and some of my most popular recipes below!
More Self-Rising Flour Recipes:
Can I turn this self rising flour banana bread into muffins?
Yes, this banana bread can easily be made into muffins, and is a great for on the go breakfasts throughout the week.
Banana muffins also take less time to bake up, so theyre great when youre crunched for time.
Check out my self rising flour banana muffins over here.
How many bananas do I need for banana bread?
I designed this recipe to be versatile, because I know sometimes you may only have a few extra bananas lying around.
For this recipe, you can use either 3 medium to large bananas or 2 medium to large bananas + 3/4 cup of applesauce.
I frequently find myself only having 2 bananas leftover, and this recipe works perfectly!
The applesauce will replace the extra banana and helps add more moisture to the bread.
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
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Variation Ideas For Homemade Banana Bread:
Everyone enjoys this Easy Banana Bread Recipe plain but adding in something else just makes it even more special.
How Ripe Should Bananas Be For Banana Bread
The best banana bread is made with overly ripe bananas. You can tell bananas are overripe when they turn deep yellow and get brown giraffe spots all over them. Even almost completely black bananas are still good for banana bread. My family can handle eating fresh bananas with just a few spots, but once they start looking like this, I know nobody is going to touch them.
Bananas ripen and darken as the sugars inside of the flesh begin to break down, making the banana sweeter in the process. So the riper the banana you use, the sweeter the banana bread becomes.
You can speed up the banana ripening process by placing several bananas and an apple inside of a brown paper bag, closing the top and letting them sit on the counter for a day or two. The gases released will speed up the banana ripening process using this method.
Or if you don’t already happen to have ripe bananas on hand and cant wait for your underripe bananas to ripen fully, you can help the process along by sticking the bananas in the oven for a little bit. Just place them whole on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes, then cool, peel, and use in this banana bread recipe as normal.
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How To Quickly Ripen Bananas
If youre sitting there with unripe bananas and need to bake banana bread, there are a couple of tricks for speeding up the ripening process:
- Add to a paper bag. If you can wait a day or two, throw the bananas into a brown paper bag. Bananas release ethylene . If you can place the bag in a warmer area of your home, the process will go even quicker.
- Bake them. You can bake bananas in their peel to ripen them for a speedy option. This trick works best when the bananas arent entirely green and are already starting to ripen. To do it, line unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and bake in a 300F oven until they look shiny and black . Dont worry if some banana flesh or juices leak out while they bake.
The bananas make the bread deliciously moist, sweet, and flavorful. Once youre ready with your bananas, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly.
Tips: Baking With Bananas
Its important that you use overripe bananas for this recipe. The skin of the bananas should have brown speckles or even be turning dark brownish-black. This ensures that the bananas mash smoothly and are extra sweet.
You will need 3-4 bananas .
Mash the bananas using a fork or potato masher.
I mash the bananas on a paper plate then fold the plate in half and slide the mashed banana into the measuring cup.
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Easy Banana Bread Recipe: Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe is that it uses kitchen staples. All you need is your ripe bananas and youve likely got everything else on hand. You can find the full, printable recipe at the end of this post. Lets take a look at what youll need:
- ripe bananas you want really ripe bananas which mean plenty of brown spots all over the bananas. Watch the video to see what my bananas look like, and they can be even riper than that!
- sugar for the video and banana bread pictured, I used all granulated sugar. This recipe is delicious with brown sugar as well and it can add even more moisture to the bread. I like to use either 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar, or 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Try this recipe different ways and see which you prefer.
- eggs room temperature eggs work best.
- sour cream I prefer banana bread with sour cream but Greek yogurt is a great substitute.
- unsalted butter the butter needs to be melted and then cooled for a good 20 minutes. I melt the butter before I start pulling out ingredients or prepping the loaf pan to make sure it has plenty of time to cool. Butter should be opaque.
- vanilla extract use high quality vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for the best flavor.
- all purpose flour creates the structure of this bread.
- baking soda and salt for leavening and flavor.
More Easy Baking Recipes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a loaf pan with butter, oil, or even Pam spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar.
- Add the bananas. Mash them then mix into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir.
- Mix in the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. OVEN TIMES VARY. Some people need 55 minutes. Others need 30 minutes. Please use your own judgment and the toothpick trick . In a fairly new, convection oven, it takes around 40 minutes for my bread to be done.
- Remove from oven and let cool. For clean slices, please allow the bread to completely cool.
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Easy Banana Bread Recipe
It is easy and pretty much fail proof. I am not much of a baker , so for me to say this is fail proof says something.
By the way if you want a healthier version try our healthy banana bread recipe for new twist on the traditional banana bread. And if you like pumpkin, our recipe for Pumpkin Banana Bread is so delicious.
Now if you are a chocolate lover like me, you have to try this Simple Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. It is amazing with all the chocolate chips.
How To Freeze Banana Bread
You can wrap it in saran wrap to freeze the entire loaf. You may also place the entire loaf in a freezer bag.
Freezing individual slices is also an option to be able to quickly take out for breakfast or snacks.
Simply place the slices on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until frozen. Then place the sliced in a freezer bag until ready to use. Now you can quickly thaw the sliced in the microwave or in the toaster.
Simply thaw on the counter when you are ready to eat.
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Easy Banana Bread Recipe Just 6 Simple Ingredients
This simple banana bread recipe uses just 6 ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen! In just over an hour, you can have this homemade banana bread recipe ready for dessert or a delectable breakfast treat to have with your morning coffee.
If you have flour, sugar, and ripe bananas you want to use up, grab your mixer and get ready to fill your house with the delicious scent of baking banana bread in the oven! Add walnuts or pecans for the best banana nut bread your family will beg you to make!
Can you just smell that warm banana bread being pulled out of the oven?
This is a scrumptious treat that I must admit it is far outside of my usual healthy recipes. Sometimes we just need a treat! This recipe came from a friend and I thought it was just so shareable and unique that I wanted to pass it along so you can enjoy it too!
This is an easy, sharable sweet bread recipe that is perfect for holiday gatherings, Christmas morning breakfast, birthday party cake alternative, or just an after-dinner family treat!
Have some ripe bananas lying around? Put them to good use and have hot banana bread cooling on the stove in just over an hour!
Banana Bread Flour Options
This recipe is flexible! Any of the following flours will work well. I love to use white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flourthey offer all the whole wheat nutrients, without the characteristically nutty flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Whole wheat pastry flour
- White whole wheat flour
*To substitute oat flour, youll need to use 2 1/2 cups, for reasons elaborated in my guide to oat flour.
Want to make your banana bread with almond flour? You sure can, but its not a simple substitute, so follow my almond flour-based banana bread recipe instead.
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Making This Easy Banana Bread Recipe
You dont need fancy equipment. I used a *handheld mixer. I know gramma would have only used a *wooden spoon.
- in a small bowl mash the bananas with a fork
- in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar
- add the eggs
- add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- mix in the mashed bananas
- put the batter in a *loaf pan
- bake
This recipe is PERFECT for anyone just learning to bake. Only a few ingredients, simple directions and DELICIOUS results.
My grandkids beg me to make this ALL the time. My grandson has a hard time deciding between this and baked pumpkin donuts as his favourite snack.
Simply Perfect Banana Bread Recipe
May 16, 2021
Love bananas? Us too! Try this delicious Banana Pudding and Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies too!
There is nothing better than homemade banana bread. I have spent a good part of my life baking and I still get a thrill when I see I have some beautifully ripe bananas that need to be used.
When testing this recipe, I made over 50 loaves of banana bread. You read that right. Ive tested every combination of ingredients, temperatures, baking methods, pan sizes you name it. Its been a labor of love and a heck of a lot of bananas.
When I say this is the best banana bread Ive ever had, I mean it. My kids agree.
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What Our Readers Are Saying
If you dont believe that our recipe helps you achieve the perfect banana bread loaf at home, take a look at what our readers are saying about the recipe! More reviews are in the comments section below.
Best banana bread Ive ever had. Kalia
I made this today. Definitely the BEST banana bread Ive ever made and Ive made a lot of it. I do a lot of baking, this is delicious! Diane
Super-good! Moist, flavorful, baked in no time! This is my new favorite banana bread recipe Julie
The best banana bread recipe Ive used so far and Ive used at least 10 different recipes. Moist, not too sweet, soft. Perfection! Eva
How Do You Keep Banana Bread Moist
The best way to keep banana bread moist for days is to wrap it tightly. Once your bread is baked and cooled, I recommend wrapping tightly in plastic wrap.
Stored this way on the counter, your bread will stay moist up to 3 days. If youd like, you can store the bread wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
However, this recipe never lasts long in my house. Im lucky if I can get it to last one day. The entire family fights over the last slice.
Recommended Reading: Recipe Ideas With What I Have
Ingredients In Banana Nut Bread
Bananas: Youll want bananas that are spotty and brown with a little bit of yellow. Ripe bananas have more sugars and are sweeter, the perfect addition to this bread.
Butter & Shortening: This banana nut bread uses a combination of shortening and butter. Shortening has a higher fat content so it makes a more tender bread. The addition of butter is for flavor. You can use all butter in this recipe if you prefer but I would suggest trying it with shortening too, the results are great!
Nuts: You can use any kind of nuts in this recipe, my go to is pecans or walnuts.
How Long To Bake
Keep these tips in mind for how to bake based on what the batter is being baked in.
- Regular size muffins: bake 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes
- Mini Muffins bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
- Mini loaf pans : Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes
- Bundt cake pan: bake at 350 degrees F for 55-65 minutes
- Note: insert a toothpick to test for doneness. If it comes out clean remove pan from the oven. If it does not, then cook longer, checking at 5 minute intervals, until done.
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Why Youll Love This Recipe
- Its easy: Banana bread is one of those classic, simple recipes that everyone needs to have in their recipe box.
- Its moist: Theres nothing like a warm slice of moist banana bread to make you feel all cozy. This loaf will hit all those notes and more.
- Tons of banana flavor: I love how this bread makes the flavor of ripe bananas shine! If youre a banana lover then youre going to love this recipe.
Should Bananas Be Ripe For Banana Bread
Bananas get sweeter as they ripen. If you prefer a sweeter dessert banana bread, you should use very ripe bananas!
Did you know you can ripen bananas quickly in the oven?! Just place parchment paper on a baking tray and lay bananas in a row. Bake at 300 degrees until they are soft and the peels are black . Flip about halfway through baking. Allow to cool then scoop out the insides for a soft, sweet banana!
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