Published: September 13, 2023 | Updated: October 6, 2023
Banana bread is one of my family’s favorite recipes, especially when it comes to saving bananas that may be overly ripe! Continue reading to learn my personal recipe and tricks to make delicious banana bread! This recipe will serve you rave reviews, especially if you follow some of my baking hacks below.
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This recipe also includes unique flavors that you will not find in the majority of banana bread recipes online. I’ve included flavors such as brown sugar to add richness to this banana bread recipe, almond extract, and nutmeg, which gives this recipe a warm nutty flavor. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, try my almond flour banana muffin recipe instead. Let’s get started!
Baking Tips for Banana Bread
- Use Ripe Bananas – If you’re thinking of making a batch of banana bread, select bananas that are soft and have some brown spots on the outside. Bananas that are hard or too green will not work for this recipe. Green bananas are not as sweet as yellow and have a slight bitter taste to them. If you do not have any ripe bananas, you can quickly ripen these by placing them in the oven, with the peel on, on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Check every 10 minutes until they are soft to touch.
- Use Room Temperature Butter & Eggs – Give your eggs and butter time to come to room temperature before mixing. Room temperature butter mixes easier with sugar, which will prevent your bread from feeling heavy or dense. Room temperature eggs mix and distribute easier with the batter, which will prevent a clumpy mixture.
- Mash Bananas Separately – I always mash my ripened bananas in a separate smaller bowl prior to combining them with the other wet ingredients. This also prevent over mixing your batter.
- Separate Dry From Wet Ingredients – As tempting as it may be, sacrifice the use of an extra bowl and mix wet and dry ingredients separately before fully combining your batter. Dry ingredients will include: flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Wet ingredients will include: brown sugar, white granulated sugar, butter, eggs, bananas, vanilla extract, almond extract and sour cream. Mixing these ingredients separately will guarantee ingredients are evenly distributed / mixed. Once combined, this also prevents over mixing, which will tighten gluten, resulting in a tough bread.
- Do Not Over Mix Batter – Once dry and wet ingredients are combined, take care to not over mix the final batter. This could result in heavy, chewy bread.
- Lock In Moisture With Foil – One trick I always use for my baked goods is allowing them to rest in foil for one hour after baking. This will cause the steam to circulate back into the banana bread, causing it to be moist and softer longer.
How to Store Banana Bread
There are two main ways to store banana bread besides freezing. One method is on the counter, and the other is in the refrigerator. Banana bread can be kept on the counter safely for around 4 – 5 days before it should be moved to the refrigerator or frozen. If you enjoy cold slices of banana bread, and wish to store in the refrigerator after baking, I recommend allowing your banana bread to fully cool off, wrap in saran wrap, and store it in an airtight container. Keep in mind that refrigerator stored banana bread will lose moisture faster, causing your bread to dry out more quickly.
Best Banana Bread Recipe Instructions:
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup real butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 bananas
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup black walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour a 8.5 x 4.5-Inch loaf pan. I used some of the extra butter and flour from this recipe to prep my pan.
- Mash 3 bananas and set aside. Combine 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup room temperature butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar until combined with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Add 2 room temperature eggs one at a time until blended. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp almond extract, 1/2 cup sour cream, and mashed bananas. Allow mixture to blend before adding dry ingredients.
- To the large mixing bowl, steadily add dry ingredients of flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Allow mixture to blend until smooth. Careful not to over mix. Pour into greased 9×5 loaf pan spreading evenly. Top with chopped black walnuts. Place pan inside of preheated oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven temperature or until a butter knife comes out clean when poked in the middle of the loaf. Allow bread to rest for 10 minutes when removed from the pan. For an extra moist serving of bread, I optionally wrap my loaf in foil and allow it to rest for one hour before cutting and serving. Totally optional, but a great way to serve an extra moist bread loaf. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This looks like a yummy recipe. I’ll add it to my recipe book and make it some day soon.
Fabulous tips and ideas on how to make delicious banana bread. I love a yummy slice and this recipe is perfect!
This is such a delicious banana bread. All banana bread has a delicious flavor, but it’s the texture and moisture that really makes a banana bread pop. This bread is super moist!
This is some of the best banana bread I’ve ever made. It’s so moist and tender, and the nuts on top are the perfect finish.
Love the addition of the nuts on top. It is nice to have a good banana bread recipe for all those bananas we don’t seem to eat.
I love banana bread – I say that over and over again. Even my kids love it. I like that it’s also easy to make. Thanks for sharing your recipe — it does look like the best out there! 🙂
My mouth is watering just thinking about this recipe! It sounds absolutely delicious!
This look so yummy and would love to try it. I tried it before but it was a long time ago and I loved it. Thank you for sharing!
I made the banana bread 🍞 it was delicious shared it several ppl ❤️ it as well thanks ebony !
Thank you! So glad you tried and liked my recipe! Thanks for your support! 🙂
This sounds so good. I do love banana bread. It has to be one of my favourite recipes. I don’t usually add nutmeg to mine but I’m sure that it makes a great addition and makes it taste even better!!!