Alright, I know it’s the beginning of January and we’re supposed to be on some sort of health kick right? Isn’t that how New Year’s works? 😉 Well, we’re still on lock down so I think this January is a little bit different. I need some comfort food so the baking continues. At least this banana bread has fruit in it…that makes it healthy, right? This is the simplest, best banana bread recipe ever. In just a few minutes you can have this deliciousness baking in the oven, making the whole house smell like you are a master baker. 

Banana bread is my go-to when I see a bunch of bananas going bad on the counter. You know, when they start to get to that super brown, overripe stage? Well don’t throw them out! Make this amazing banana bread.

Here’s a BANANA BREAD TIP: Did you know you can freeze overripe bananas to make bread with later? If they are going bad and you don’t have enough time to make bread right then, or enough bananas for your recipe, simply toss the bananas in a ziploc bag and put the in the freezer.  When you are ready to use them just let them thaw on the counter. They will be SUPER mushy….but that is just fine for this bread.

This is a VERY simple, very rich and dense banana bread. The secret to getting it work well is not to over mix the ingredients. You want to cream the butter, sugars and vanilla, but not as much as you would with a cookie or cake recipe. Then add the eggs and mashed banana and mix until incorporated and then you want to just mix everything else until it is combined…so it’s a bit different than making a cake. 

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR BANANA BREAD

• Flour: All-purpose flour 
• Baking soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt: If you’re using salted butter you won’t necessarily need to add the salt…you can choose
• Butter: Makes everything taste better…right? I always use unsalted butter when baking, but you can use whatever you have on hand
• Brown sugar: I love this golden brown sugar which adds a slightly richer, caramel taste
• White Sugar
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon: a little spice to warm things up
• Eggs: help hold that batter together
• Bananas: perfectly over-ripe bananas are best for this recipe

Just like with lots of baked goods, I feel like this bread tastes even better the second day. After the flavor has a chance to meld, it is even better…but good luck resisting eating it that long. In our house, we’re lucky to even let it cool down long enough so that it doesn’t burn our tongues, lol! 

I have never added chocolate chips to my bread…because kind of like with nuts, I don’t love chocolate chips in my pancakes, bread or muffins. I know weird. I LOVE chocolate…but for some reason not in those things. I can’t explain it. If you love chocolate chip banana bread, I think that you could add a 1/2 cup or so with no problem.

Do you like nuts in your banana bread? I love nuts in cookies and salads etc., but for some reason I don’t love them in my breads and muffins. What is your preference? With this recipe you can totally add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the mix if you love them, or leave them out. Either way this will still be the best banana bread recipe ever! Experiment and see what you think! 🙂 

I got this recipe from a friend years ago, and have made a couple of tweaks to it over the years myself (the cinnamon, vanilla and mixing brown and white sugar were a couple of changes from the initial recipe)so feel free to experiment with it and have some fun! Sour cream or buttermilk might be a delicious addition too!

Best Banana Bread Recipe Ever

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This sweet and delicious banana bread will be a new family favorite.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (if using salted butter you can omit the salt)
• 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf with nonstick cooking spray. Lining the pan with parchment paper after spraying it will help lift the bread out of the pan too if you have some.

• Mash the bananas in a medium mixing bowl with a fork until relatively smooth. Set aside. 
• In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon. 
• Add your melted butter, eggs, and mashed bananas. Stir until a thick batter forms. Add your batter to your prepared loaf pan.
• Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean…about an hour.
• If the top of your loaf is browning too quickly, cover your bread with a tent of tin foil (sprayed with cooking spray) to shield it from getting too dark. 
• Cool your bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Cut into slices with a serrated knife.

Want to try something else delicious with this banana bread? Try buttering it up and toasting/grilling it on a frying pan…or prep it like you would french toast. Oh man!! SO good! 

I hope that you try this and think it’s the best banana bread recipe ever too when you get to sink your teeth into it!

Want more delicious recipes? Check out my entire RECIPE COLLECTION HERE.

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Happy baking!

Tammy