My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This easy banana bread recipe has been a go-to and favorite for years. It's buttery, has an incredibly soft crumb, is not too sweet, and stays moist for days. Made with 5 very ripe bananas and a handful of basic kitchen ingredients– this is truly the best banana bread you'll ever have!

Prep Time15

Cook Time55

Total Time1 10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings (1 loaf)

Calories: 294kcal

Author: Christina

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted and slightly cooled
⅔ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 ¼ cups mashed bananas about 5 large
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
optional add-ins: ¾ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until no lumps remain. Then, whisk in the eggs, yogurt, mashed bananas and vanilla until combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together until no flour pockets remain. Be careful to not overmix. Fold in the add-ins, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil at the 30 minute mark to prevent the top from browning too much. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the pan and cool directly on the wire rack until ready to serve.
Slice and serve. Cover and store the bread at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: The banana bread will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week stored in a bag or container.
Freezing Instructions: The banana bread can be frozen for up to 3 months store in a freezer-safe bag or container. I love to wrap slices that way I can thaw individual servings.
Bananas: You can use thawed frozen bananas in this recipe. Since thawed bananas are extra wet, make sure you strain as much liquid as possible and pat dry before mashing.
Yogurt: I find that full-fat Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla) or sour cream yields the best results in texture, but you can also use regular yogurt.
Brown Sugar: The recipe calls for ⅔ cup brown sugar. You can use half brown sugar and half granulated sugar or use all granulated sugar. Feel free to reduce the sugar to ½ cup, if desired.
Add-Ins: You can use chocolate chips, walnuts, chopped chocolate, etc.
Want Banana Muffins? You can use this banana bread recipe to make 15-17 muffins. Spoon the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan, filling each to the top with batter. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ºF, then keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. Bake for an additional 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The total bake time for the muffins is 19-21 minutes. Or, you can try my banana muffin recipe!
Need These Gluten-Free? I've made these gluten free using King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour.

Nutrition