Even with the thousands of banana bread recipes available, it can be difficult to find a recipe that turns out delicious! Honestly, there are various banana bread recipes that are never worth making again. They are good, but not great!  Many banana bread recipes are dry, lack a good banana flavor and are way too sweet.

This healthy banana bread recipe is more than great! It’s absolutely divine! It is an easy banana bread recipe that turns out perfectly sweet with a fantastic banana flavor. On top of that, this moist banana bread melts in your mouth from the first bite to the last.

The Bananas

There are a few secrets to great banana bread. First off, your bananas need to be extra ripe.  Bananas with dark mushy spots are perfect. In fact, the best banana bread recipe uses overripe bananas that have fully developed sugars and a nice soft texture. It makes the bread very moist and brings out the full flavor of the bananas.

Other Important Guidelines

It is very important that you do not over mix the batter. Over mixing the batter will develop the gluten in the flour, making the bread very rubbery. As well, mixing the batter to much can overwork the leavening. Overworked leavening will not rise properly and oftentimes your banana bread will be heavy and raw in the center.

A good rule of thumb is to sift your flour with the other dry ingredients first. Next, add your dry ingredients to your wet. Gently fold in the ingredients using a large wooden spoon or spatula. Mix until all the ingredients are barely wet.

If you like a lighter loaf, cream the butter and sugar together before adding the bananas and dry ingredients. This technique adds air pockets to the mixture, making it lighter and fluffier.  But if you like a dense loaf, skip the creaming method.

Makes 1 loaf (can be doubled)

  • Prep 10 min
  • Bake 1 hour 5 min
  • Total time 1 hour 15 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3-4 extra ripe medium sized bananas, mashed
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts (optional)

Best Cookware to Use

  • 8 x 5-inch loaf pan
  • Small saucepan
  • Small bowl
  • Large bowl
  • Large wooden spoon or spatula

Preparation of the Banana Bread

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  2. Make sure the oven rack is in the bottom third of the oven.
  3. Oil and flour your pan. Make sure the loaf is completely coated and there are no clumps of flour.
  4. If adding nuts, toast them for 10 minutes and allow them to cool before adding to batter.
  5. In a small saucepan, add butter and melt on low heat. For a more cake-like loaf, allow the butter to soften (no melting) and cream it with the sugar until fluffy.
  6. Add the eggs to the butter mixture. Combine until smooth.
  7. Stir in milk and vanilla.
  8. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas.
  9. Add the mashed bananas to the creamed butter mixture
  10. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the chocolate or nuts if desired.
  11. Using a wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients to the wet. Gently combine until all the ingredients are wet. Do not over mix.
  12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes. Check the banana bread after 50 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The top of the loaf should be a nice dark brown.
  13. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes before slicing.

Extra Notes

To make muffins, fill the muffin tins with liners. Fill each cup about ¾ full. This banana bread recipe makes about 8-10 muffins. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until done.