Last updated: November 12, 2026.
Banana bread is the homemade loaf every kitchen knows: ripe bananas, butter, sugar and flour baked into a soft, golden slice that tastes like comfort. This best banana bread recipe is moist, easy, and made with ripe bananas — a homemade classic, with walnuts or chocolate chips.
There is no mixer needed and no fussy technique. Mash the bananas, stir in the wet ingredients, fold in the flour, and pour it into a loaf pan. In about an hour the kitchen smells like a bakery and you have a loaf that slices cleanly, stays moist for days, and freezes beautifully.
This is the dessert to make when the bananas on the counter have gone spotty — the riper, the better. If you are still choosing what to bake, our baking dessert recipes hub has the full list of ideas, and our dessert recipes hub has everything else on the site.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread
- Moist every time. Ripe bananas and melted butter keep the crumb soft for days — no dry loaf.
- One bowl, no mixer. Mash, stir, fold, bake. The whole thing comes together in 15 minutes.
- Uses up spotty bananas. The browner the bananas, the sweeter and more flavourful the bread.
- Your choice of mix-ins. Walnuts for crunch, chocolate chips for sweetness, or plain — all three work.
- Freezes beautifully. Slice it first, freeze the slices, and toast one whenever you want it.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 330 g (about 3 large) very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 115 g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (about 100 g), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 220 g (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix-ins (optional)
- 60 g (1/2 cup) walnuts, chopped — where to buy
- 85 g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips, instead of or as well as the walnuts — where to buy
Equipment
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- 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Fork or potato masher (for the bananas)
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Banana Bread
Step 1 — Heat the Oven and Prepare the Pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides so you can lift the loaf out later.
Step 2 — Mash the Bananas
Peel the bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and give the bread texture.
Step 3 — Mix the Wet Ingredients
Pour the melted butter into the mashed bananas and stir. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and well combined.
Step 4 — Add the Dry Ingredients
Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon over the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears. Over-mixing makes the bread dense.
Step 5 — Fold in the Mix-ins
Fold in the chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips) with two or three gentle strokes.
Step 6 — Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Step 7 — Cool and Slice
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out with the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing — at least 30 minutes. Warm slices crumble.
Tips for Moist Banana Bread
- Use truly ripe bananas. The peel should be heavily speckled or mostly brown — underripe bananas make a bland, dry loaf. If yours are not ripe enough, bake them in their skins at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes until blackened.
- Do not over-mix. Stir the flour in only until it disappears. Over-mixing develops gluten and is the main reason banana bread turns dense and tough.
- Measure flour by spooning. Scooping from the bag packs flour in — spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it (220 g).
- Check early, tent if needed. If the top browns too fast, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
- Cool before slicing. A warm loaf is fragile. Waiting 30 minutes gives you clean slices instead of crumbs.
- Melted butter, not softened. Melted butter gives this loaf its moist, slightly dense crumb; creaming softened butter gives a more cake-like result.
Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing
- Room temperature: wrap the cooled loaf tightly or keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It stays moist and actually tastes better on day two.
- Fridge: refrigerate for up to 1 week in an airtight container; bring slices to room temperature or toast lightly before serving.
- Freezing: slice the cooled loaf, wrap slices individually, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or toast straight from frozen.
- Make ahead: mash the bananas up to a day ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container; the batter itself should be mixed and baked the same day.
Variations
- Chocolate chip banana bread. Swap the walnuts for 85 g (1/2 cup) chocolate chips, or use both.
- Banana nut muffins. Divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20–24 minutes. For a quicker banana breakfast, see the Easy Pancakes Recipe (Fluffy & Homemade) – its banana variation folds one ripe banana into the batter.
- Cinnamon swirl. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and swirl half into the batter before baking.
- Peanut butter banana bread. Replace 60 g of the butter with smooth peanut butter for a richer loaf.
- No nuts. Leave the walnuts out entirely — the bread is just as moist, and safe for nut-free lunchboxes.
Nutrition
One serving (1 of 10 slices) has about 300 calories, 40 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 14 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 19 g sugar, 2 g fiber and 240 mg sodium. Nutrition information is an estimate only.
Dietary notes: Contains wheat, milk and eggs. Walnuts are optional – nut-free option: leave the walnuts out entirely, or swap them for chocolate chips (see Variations).
| Calories | 300 |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated fat | 6 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sodium | 240 mg |
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Ingredients
McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract, 16 fl oz
pure vanilla extract
Yupik Organic Raw California Walnuts, Halves, 2.2 lb
chopped walnuts
Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips, 10 oz (Pack of 6)
semi-sweet chocolate chips
Baking Equipment
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan, 9 x 5 Inch
9 x 5-inch loaf pan
Hiware 3-Tier Collapsible Cooling Rack, Stainless Steel
3-tier cooling rack
Kitchen Tools
Pyrex Sculpted Glass Mixing Bowls Set with Plastic Lids, 3-Pack
glass mixing bowls with lids
DI ORO Silicone Spatula Set, 4-Piece
silicone spatula set
Substitutions
If you are missing an ingredient, these swaps keep the recipe working.
- Walnuts. Swap them for 85 g (1/2 cup) of chocolate chips, use both, or leave the nuts out entirely – the bread is just as moist.
- Butter. Use the same amount of neutral oil or melted coconut oil instead – the crumb will be a little less rich, but still moist.
- Eggs. Use 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons of water, rested for 5 minutes) – the loaf will be a little denser.
- Cinnamon. Leave it out, or use a pinch of nutmeg instead – the banana flavour carries the loaf either way.
Common Mistakes
These are the mistakes that cause the most problems with this recipe.
- Underripe bananas. The peel should be heavily speckled or mostly brown – underripe bananas make a bland, dry loaf.
- Over-mixing. Stir the flour in only until it disappears – over-mixing develops gluten and is the main reason banana bread turns dense and tough.
- Scooping the flour. Scooping from the bag packs flour in – spoon it into the cup and level it off, or weigh it (220 g).
- Slicing warm. A warm loaf is fragile – waiting 30 minutes gives you clean slices instead of crumbs.
FAQ
How ripe should bananas be for banana bread?
Very ripe — the peel should be heavily speckled with brown spots or mostly brown, and the banana should feel soft when you press it. Ripe bananas are sweeter and mash easily, which is what makes the bread moist and flavourful. Underripe, yellow bananas make a bland, dry loaf. If your bananas are not ripe yet, bake them in their skins at 300°F (150°C) for about 15 minutes until blackened, then cool and mash.
Can I freeze banana bread?
Yes — banana bread freezes very well. Let the loaf cool completely, then slice it and wrap the slices individually in plastic wrap or foil before putting them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slices at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or toast them straight from frozen. You can also freeze the whole loaf, wrapped tightly, and slice it once thawed.
Why is my banana bread dense?
The most common cause is over-mixing the batter after the flour goes in — stir only until the flour disappears, because over-mixing develops gluten and makes the loaf heavy. The other usual causes are too much flour (spoon it into the cup and level it, or weigh 220 g), not enough leavening (check your baking soda is fresh), or an oven running cool, which leaves the center under-baked and gummy. A toothpick test in the center is the reliable check.
Can I use frozen bananas for banana bread?
Yes. Thaw frozen bananas completely first and drain off the excess liquid before mashing them. Thawed bananas are softer and mash very easily, and they are just as sweet as fresh ripe bananas.
Why is my banana bread raw in the middle?
The usual causes are an oven running cool, too much banana, or a pan that is too small, which leaves the center under-baked and gummy. Test with a toothpick or skewer in the center; if it comes out wet, tent the loaf loosely with foil and bake for 10 minutes more, then test again.
Can I turn this banana bread into muffins?
Yes. Divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350F (175C) for 20-24 minutes.
Times, servings and nutrition values are standard guidance and may vary.
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and line it with a strip of parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides so you can lift the loaf out later.
- Mash the bananas. Peel the bananas into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and give the bread texture.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Pour the melted butter into the mashed bananas and stir. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon over the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as the last streak of flour disappears. Over-mixing makes the bread dense.
- Fold in the mix-ins. Fold in the chopped walnuts (or chocolate chips) with two or three gentle strokes.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55–65 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and slice. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out with the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing — at least 30 minutes. Warm slices crumble.
Notes
More Recipes to Try
More from Desert Dishes — try these next:
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe (Soft, Chewy & Easy) — soft, chewy cookies with crisp edges.
- Best Brownie Recipe (Fudgy & Homemade) — seriously fudgy brownies with crackly tops.
- Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe (Southern-Style) — juicy peaches under a golden, buttery topping.
- Easy Pancakes Recipe (Fluffy & Homemade) — light, golden pancakes in minutes.
- Easy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (Soft, Gooey & Homemade) — soft, gooey homemade rolls with brown-sugar filling and cream cheese glaze.
