Banana bread is a soft, moist, sweet quick loaf made from very ripe bananas, melted butter, sugar, an egg, vanilla, baking soda and flour. This is the plain, classic kind: one bowl, a fork, no mixer, and a kitchen that smells wonderful for an hour. It is the best thing to do with the brown bananas on the counter, and it is good for breakfast, in a lunch box or with an afternoon coffee.
How to make banana bread: Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a bread pan. Mash 3 brown bananas in a bowl. Stir in melted butter, sugar, a whisked egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and flour by hand until well mixed. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
Why You’ll Love It
- One bowl. Everything is stirred together by hand.
- No mixer. A fork and a spoon are all it takes.
- It uses up brown bananas. The darker they are, the better the loaf.
- You choose the sweetness. Anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sugar works.
- It keeps. On the counter, in the refrigerator or sliced in the freezer.
Ingredient Notes
Bananas. Three, brown and soft. Ripe bananas are sweeter and mash easily.
Butter. A 1/3 cup, melted.
Sugar. Between 1/2 cup and 1 cup. Use less for a breakfast loaf and more for a dessert loaf.
Egg. One, whisked with a fork before it goes in.
Vanilla. One teaspoon.
Baking soda and salt. One teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of salt. The baking soda is what makes the loaf rise.
Flour. One and a half cups.
Ingredients
- 3 brown bananas
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, whisked with a fork
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
How to Make Banana Bread
1. Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a bread pan that is approximately 9 x 4 x 4 inches.
2. Mix the batter. Mash the brown bananas. Mix them by hand in a bowl with the melted butter, sugar, fork-whisked egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and flour until well incorporated.
3. Fill the pan. Pour the batter into the greased bread pan.
4. Bake and check. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Begin checking at about 50 minutes. The bread is done when it is browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool. Cool the bread on a cooling rack.
How Do You Store Banana Bread?
Cool it completely first, then wrap it tightly. Those two steps matter more than where you put it. A warm loaf wrapped too soon traps steam and turns sticky. A loaf left unwrapped dries out.
After that, you have three choices, depending on how fast it will be eaten.
| Where | How to wrap it | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Cooled completely, wrapped tightly | Up to 4 days |
| Refrigerator | Cooled completely, wrapped tightly | Up to a week |
| Freezer | Loaf or slices in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap or foil, inside a freezer bag or container | Up to 3 to 4 months |
For the freezer, slices are the smart choice. Wrap them one by one or in pairs, and you can take out just what you need. Slices also thaw faster than a whole loaf.
Thaw frozen banana bread in the refrigerator, still in its wrapping.
Tips for Success
How ripe should the bananas be?
Brown. Peels covered in dark spots, or fully brown, are right. Yellow bananas with green tips will not give the same flavor or sweetness.
How much should I mix?
Stir by hand until everything is well incorporated and no dry flour is left, then stop.
How do I know it is done?
The top is browned and a toothpick pushed into the middle comes out clean. Start checking at about 50 minutes.
How much sugar should I use?
Anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup. Very ripe bananas bring a lot of sweetness, so the lower end is still a sweet loaf.
Do I need a mixer?
No. A bowl, a fork for the bananas and egg, and a spoon are enough. Mash the bananas well, because large lumps leave wet pockets in the baked loaf.
How Long Does It Take?
About 70 minutes: 10 minutes of prep and up to 60 minutes in the oven. Let the loaf cool on a rack before you slice it, so the slices hold together.
What Are the Ingredients for a Banana Bread Loaf?
Eight things, most of them already in the kitchen: bananas, butter, sugar, flour, one egg, a little vanilla, a pinch of salt and baking soda. There is no milk, no oil and no baking powder in this loaf, and nothing that needs a trip to a special store.
Storage
Wrap the cooled loaf tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer keeping, freeze the loaf or slices, well wrapped, for up to 3 to 4 months, and thaw in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
A slice is good plain or with a little butter. For other takes on banana bread, bake the chocolate banana bread. For more sweet loaves, try cranberry orange bread with simple glaze, Amish apple fritter bread or brownie bread. And if you have more ripe bananas to use, make banana blueberry oatmeal breakfast cookies or a no-bake banana split cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I store banana bread?
Cool it completely and wrap it tightly. Keep it at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
What are the ingredients for a banana bread loaf?
Brown bananas, melted butter, sugar, an egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and flour.
Can I freeze banana bread?
Yes. Wrap the loaf or slices in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap or foil, put them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
How many slices does one loaf make?
Eight.
Final Notes
I mash the bananas right in the mixing bowl, so there is only one bowl to wash. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Banana Bread
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Ingredients
- 3 bananas brown; mash before mixing
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1/2 to 1 cup sugar use the amount you prefer
- 1 egg whisked with a fork
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a bread pan that is approximately 9 x 4 x 4 inches.
- Mash the brown bananas. Mix them by hand in a bowl with the melted butter, sugar, fork-whisked egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt and flour until well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the greased bread pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Begin checking at about 50 minutes. The bread is done when it is browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the bread on a cooling rack.
