This simple banana bread recipe is the BEST way to use overripe bananas. It’s incredibly easy and the banana bread is always soft, moist, and delicious.
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This is one of my most popular posts. People cannot seem to get enough it! Dozens of people have told me this is now their go-to banana bread recipe. I hope it becomes yours too!
This Iced Chai Latte pairs SO well with this banana bread. It's ready in a minute, inexpensive, and tastes just like the one at Starbucks.
Super Easy Banana Bread
This recipe is crazy easy. It only requires one bowl. There’s no need for a mixer. And, it doesn’t make much of a mess.
It’s so easy that people who never baked before and kids frequently make it on their own. I’ve also been told that people have made it with their toddlers, which I absolutely love. It’s the perfect opportunity for family bonding.
It’s also a great way to use overripe bananas so they don’t go to waste. I honestly think my family and partner have stopped eating bananas JUST so I make this banana bread. 😂
I HATE wasting food, so it is awesome that I can be resourceful and make my family happy.
More Overripe Banana Recipes:
- Simple Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Super Soft Banana Bread Cookies
- The BEST Gluten-Free Banana Bread
If you have a dog, check out this banana recipe too - Easy, Healthy, Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats (Only 3 Ingredients!).
How ripe should the bananas be?
Super ripe! The bananas should be way too soft, mushy, and not at all like what we would normally eat.
The peels should be brown and easy to remove.
As a banana ripens, the starch in the fruit converts to sugar. This makes it sweeter and more assertive in banana flavor.
The riper the banana you use, the sweeter the banana bread.
How many bananas?
This is frequently discussed in the Pinterest comments for this recipe.
My favorite amount to use is 3 bananas.
You could make it with two or four though.
I personally don't like to use four bananas. It can make the bread TOO moist or dense.
If you only have one banana, check out my Banana Bread Cookie Recipe. It's a fun twist on traditional banana bread.
Gluten-Free Option
I adapted this recipe into the BEST Gluten-Free Banana Bread EVER. I’m seriously obsessed with it. It is very similar to this one. Just a couple small changes. 😉
You could also just swap all-purpose flour for a gluten-free one, like King Arthur's Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. With this gluten-free flour, you don't need any additional ingredients and you use the same exact amount of flour that the recipe calls for. It's Measure for Measure!
Optional Add-ins
Lots of people have added walnuts, pecans, raisins, and/or chocolate chips to this banana bread recipe.
I have to admit… it does taste pretty great with chocolate chips.
When I make this recipe into these Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Muffins, I add a ½ cup of chocolate chips.
Loaf Pan Size
I used to think there wasn’t much of a difference between a 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan and a 9” x 5” one. But, there is!
I recently read, on the King Arthur Baking Blog, that the "½" difference in each dimension translates to a 15% difference in capacity."
Choosing the wrong-sized loaf pan can cause a recipe to fail.
This Banana Bread recipe uses a 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan, like this Stainless Steel one with Silicone Handles. I love this bread pan. It’s durable, the perfect size, and easy-to-clean.
Out of baking soda? Check out this Banana Bread Recipe No Baking Soda.
Simple Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Butter melted
- ¾ cup Sugar granulated
- 2-4 Bananas* very ripe
- 1 Egg large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda**
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon ground
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a loaf pan with butter, oil, or even Pam spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar.
- Add the bananas. Mash them then mix into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir.
- Mix in the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. OVEN TIMES VARY. Some people need 55 minutes. Others need 30 minutes. Please use your own judgment and the toothpick trick (insert a wooden toothpick in the middle of the bread. If it comes out clean, the bread is done. If it comes out with batter on the toothpick, please continue baking. It is not done). In a fairly new, convection oven, it takes around 40 minutes for my bread to be done.
- Remove from oven and let cool. For clean slices, please allow the bread to completely cool.
Video
Notes
I would love to hear your thoughts! Did you make it? Was it simple and delicious? Would you change anything?
Amanda says
Yes, this is the best banana bread I've ever had and I've had many. I did not change a thing in the recipe. Thank you!!
Kimberly Reed says
there is a good reason this recipe has a thousand comments...it's soooo good and easy! I didn't have baking soda so I used triple the amount baking powder, which may be why it didn't rise as much as yours. I only had 2 bananas and I added coconut shreds and walnuts. I gave half away and will most likely make it AGAIN tomorrow! if I can make it, anyone can!!!! I did need to bake it about 15 minutes longer, could be my stove (gas and old). oh this is so easy and delicious!
Dena says
Hi. If you choose to do coconut flour the ratio would be 1/4 c Coconut flour to every 1C of traditional flour. I'd probably add an extra egg, along with extra butter. I used Almond flour and a blend of monk fruit and erythritol. It came out perfect!
mia says
hello,
I thought I would try a different recipe than my mother's banana bread recipe. I thought yours would be the first test. It was a slight variation from hers, nonetheless it was good but not as moist.
Thank you
Maggie says
Hi Mia, I usually add sour cream or Greek yogurt. About a quarter cup should do.
Felicia says
My family LOVES this banana bread! This recipe is simple, easy, and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Stefan Karpinski says
Dear lovemischka.com admin, Keep up the great work!
Amy says
I discovered this wonderful recipe during the pandemic. It may sound silly but it brought me comfort at that time to be able to make something so delicious and classic during a time of such uncertainty.
I have made many loaves of this delicious bread for my family and friends and everyone loves it.
I love the simple ingredients line up and the straightforward instructions.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!
Jmsjtb says
I was out of oil and butter so I substituted it with apple sauce. It baked well (in 50 min) and tastes great. Added in some blueberries too.
Amy says
I made this recipe recently in my toaster oven. It was delicious! Everyone enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Teresa Carey says
I can’t wait to try! Did you use unsalted butter or salted?
Kathy V says
This has been my go to recipe for banana bread for the past year now. I make it frequently!! Sometimes I’ll add chocolate chips and walnuts to it, also. It’s always delicious!! Thank you!!
Tray says
I made it once but will keep the recipe. I also added choc chips
Kim says
I made it tonight . Tastes great but did not rise all of the way, so not sure if I should add a little baking powder to it next time?
Refugio Hopper says
Hello lovemischka.com administrator, Your posts are always well-cited and reliable.
Maggie says
The best! Thank you for sharing this recipe. This banana bread is super moist and it’s not too sweet. Just perfect! I added fresh coconut shreds and walnuts. .
Liana says
First time I tried to recipe is was so dense I broke a knife trying to cut through it. Second time I tried it I added an extra banana and baked for 45 minutes. Tried the toothpick test and it came out clean so I took the bread out of the oven. Cut into it the next day and it’s just a block of dough.
Michelle says
How many carbs in one slice?
Sherryl N says
This has been my go to recipe since I found it. My husbands uncle loves it when I make him a loaf. This is a super easy and really great banana bread recipe.
Charmaine says
DO NOT DOUBLE THE RECIPE FOR THE 9 x 5 pan-it’s way too put batter for this pan and it overflowed into the oven. Tasty recipe after I had to split it into 2 pans. Yummy
Deb says
This recipe is so good and so easy!! I add chocolate chips, and it has become a staple for me to make for my granddaughter, who never wants to be without her “Gigi bread!” Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe!
Judy says
I made this today and it turned out awesome. I added pecans and cooked the bread in mini loaf pans. Cooked 30 minutes and they turned out perfect
user-113685 says
awesome
Jenna says
I made these into muffins and they rose perfectly. I did double the cinnamon and nutmeg because we like spice. I use salted butter in all of my baking because it’s a much easier and balanced way to add salt in my opinion. This was a very straightforward easy and success recipe. I used three bananas and made into 12 muffins, baked for 20 minutes.
Therese says
Hi, you mentioned cook time for you was about 40 minutes at 350 in a convection oven. Was that on the convection setting or the standard bake setting? My oven is fairly new and I haven't actually used the convection feature yet, so I don't want to mess up the recipe by using one setting when it should have been the other. Thanks!
Pat O'Toole says
I doubled the recipe and made two loaves with six bananas. I also made a streusel for the top. I set The oven at 350 for 45 minutes, but it was obviously not done in the middle. So I baked it for 15 minutes more. It came out perfect.
For the streusel I mixed the following for each loaf and crumbled it on top of each loaf before putting it in the oven.
Streusel Topping (optional)
½ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter
Juju Roman says
This is the best banana bread recipe. So very easy, I made it in one bowl and did and realized until I started making the recipe that I did not have enough granulated sugar so I substituted 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 granulated sugar. Fantastic taste, moist and spot on with the 40 minute cooking time.
Judi Walker says
I just made this recipe exactly as the recipe detailed. I did add a good handful of chopped pecans. I used the smaller pan and started at 40 minutes. It took 55 minutes for it bake with a slightly moist crumb but I knew it would finish off while cooling. Beautiful golden crust. It tastes divine. I loved the simplicity of the recipe. Thank you.
Trulala says
Delicious and easy recipe!! I love that it's all in one bowl, less mess. I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding 1/4 C vegetable oil and mini chocolate chips tossed in flour so they woulddn't sink to the bottom of the pan. It turned out moist and soo good. It didn't last more than two days in my house. Thank you!
Darlene says
Would frozen bananas work??
Emily says
This is always my go to banana bread recipe! I currently have a loaf in the oven with a cinnamon sugar topping. I would normally add walnuts but I didn’t have any. My family loves this recipe!
Dee says
This is a great recipe making it now just stuck it in the oven and added pecans not walnuts. Can't wait to see what it taste like.
Rachel says
How many calories is this? Or per serving and what would be the serving size?
PK says
Great recipe. I do add 1/2C. chopped walnuts.
Linda says
This is the best recipe for banana bread and I have made it so many times. I just realized I had never left a recipe and felt so bad. I am making it now for the granddaughter and husband who loves it! I no longer try others, it’s my go to! Thank you for sharing!
Rick Thornton says
I've made these manalwy times always good it's my favorite.
Rachel Flores says
Added extra cinnamon and so it was extra delicious but even without that it’s heavenly. Thank you!
Lizzy says
Just tried the recipe. One of the easiest recipes I have ever made. Made it with my children and we all had fun. Well done!