Banana Bread Recipe
Left over bananas are begging to be turned into this moist and easy Banana Bread Recipe! It’s loaded with sweet bananas but is surprisingly not overly sweet like other recipes which is why I cut thick slices.
I love how this freezes so easily in zip lock bags making it the perfect on the go treat. It’s a café style banana bread which takes 10 minutes to prepare. Once it’s baked you’re on your way to the best banana bread ever and no over ripe bananas in the fridge!
I make this twice a month, Anthony takes it to work as morning tea, and we sometimes take it to the zoo as well. It’s just an all round easy, deliciously moist and happy banana bread recipe! Happy, because of how easy it is to make!
I’ve got some other great banana treats on the blog
You might like to check out my café style Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins and Easy Passionfruit Banana Bread with Dreamy Cream Cheese Frosting are winners!
Why you should make this Banana Bread.
Apart from this delicious dessert being incredibly moist, there are so many things to love about it!
- Quick and easy to make – It takes 10 minutes to make and then once it’s baked, you’re eating delicious banana bread!
- So moist! That’s because of the Greek yogurt, brown sugar and of course over ripe bananas!
- Freezable – Pop each slice into zip lock bags and you’re onto a winner!
- Café style results! This banana bread is like like the ones at cafes. You know, those thick slices of banana bread you buy with your coffee to treat yourself? Now you can save money and make it yourself!
- Not overly sweet like other banana breads!
Ingredients You Need To Make the most amazing Banana Bread
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour.
- Sugar – I used caster sugar, also known as superfine sugar. You can use granulated sugar if you wish.
- Brown sugar – I used regular brown sugar. You can use light or dark depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. Brown sugar provides an incredible amount of moisture to this banana bread.
- Bicarb soda – also known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, helps this bread rise.
- Salt – I used fine salt.
- Cinnamon – I used ground cinnamon.
- Bananas – it’s important to use over ripe bananas. I used bananas that were really spotty and were begging to be made into a deliciously moist banana bread like this. If you don’t have ripe bananas, you can still use yellow bananas and ripen them yourself! I’ve got more info on this in my FAQ’s section of this post.
- Eggs – I used large eggs. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Butter – I used unsalted butter. Make sure your melted butter is slightly cooled before using.
- Greek yogurt – this helps make the banana bread really moist. You can use sour cream in its place.
- Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
- Walnuts – chop your walnuts up before adding to the batter. Otherwise there’ll be large chunks of walnuts.
- Cold butter – this is an awesome trick! To get that iconic part/split at the top of your banana bread (or any breads) add a strip of cold butter on top of the batter right before baking. It makes each slice of banana bread look like it’s baked at a professional bakery!
How to make Banana Bread!
- Add dry ingredients to your bowl and mix.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a separate bowl and mix together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix.
- Line your cake loaf tin with baking paper. I added clips to keep the paper in place.
- Add the batter to the tin
- Spread around evenly.
- Add butter strips along the top
- Sprinkle with oats (optional)
- Bake 60-70 min
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- The butter trick! It’s super easy to get that iconic split at the top of your banana bread. It’s cold butter! Cut little matchstick sized bars of cold butter using a sharp knife and
- Make sure your bananas are ripe – It’s what makes this bread tasty, perfectly sweet and moist.
- You can add raisins to your bread if you like. Personally, I don’t think raisins belong in baked treats, (just my opinion). I would opt in for a cup of dark chocolate chips.
Frequently Asked Questions about RECIPE
What does it taste like?
Lovely banana flavor, brown sugar but not overly sweet. I love how soft this cake is and how moist it is. Plus those creamy walnuts are a welcome bit of crunchy texture!
How do I store this?
You can freeze each slice in a zip lock freezer bag which will last 2 months. Microwave 10 seconds to thaw. Or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Can I leave the walnuts out?
Yep! You can add raisins to your bread if you like. Personally, I don’t think raisins belong in baked treats, (just my opinion). I would opt in for a cup of dark chocolate chips. Pecans would work too!
How to ripen bananas!
Don’t have ripe bananas and desperate to make this? No problem! You can ripen yellow bananas by placing them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake them on 150C / 300F for 30 minutes or until soft and gooey. The banana skins will darken completely, and the banana will almost liquify. Let them cool once baked and use in your banana bread like normal ripe bananas.
Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
Dessert ideas to have with your tea please!
If you’re after some other dessert ideas to have with your morning tea or coffee, check these out!
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Cookies And Cream Cupcakes
French Macarons
Linzer Cookies
Amaretti Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
Moist And Fluffy Banana Bread Recipe
This Banana Bread recipe is super moist, fluffy and the absolute best way to use up those ripe bananas! Perfect for slicing up for morning tea at work!
Serves 8
Ingredients
Banana Bread
- 265 g all-purpose flour, plain flour
- 105 g caster sugar, or granulated
- 65 g brown sugar, see notes
- 1 tsp bicarb soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 460 g ripe bananas, mashed well (about 4 large bananas)
- 2 large eggs, beaten (55g each)
- 125 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 60 g cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 7 g vanilla extract
- 130 g walnuts, chopped, chocolate chips or pecans (optional)
- 20 g cold butter cut into thin strips
- Quick oats to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
Banana Bread
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 200C / 400F (220C / 430F for no fan). Spray a 22cm x 13cm / 9 x 5-inch loaf tin with oil spray and line the bottom and sides with baking paper. Set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients – To a large bowl add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, bicarb soda, salt and cinnamon and use a whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Combine wet with dry – To a separate bow or jug add the mashed bananas (mash them well), lightly beaten eggs, melted and cooled butter, Greek yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to combine until no dry ingredients are visible. Take care not to overmix otherwise you’ll end up with a tough banana bread!
- Bake – Pour into the loaf tin. Line the butter strips across the top of the batter to get that nice split down the center as the bread bakes. Sprinkle with oats (optional). Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 150C / 300F (170C / 340F for no fan) and bake for another 25 minutes. Then gently take out of the oven and loosely cover with foil to prevent it from browning too much or burning. Bake for a final 40 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
Brown sugar – You can use light, regular or dark for this recipe. If you use dark, you will get a stronger brown sugar flavor but also a darker banana bread
Banana Ripeness – The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will be. Look for bananas with plenty of brown spots for the best results.
Substitutions – Greek yogurt can be swapped for sour cream without affecting the texture. You can also mix in chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans for added crunch and flavor.
Butter Strips – Placing cold butter strips on top of the batter helps create that classic split down the center of the banana bread as it bakes, giving it a beautiful presentation. It’s optional but makes it look more bakery style!
Storage – Banana bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freezing your banana bread – To freeze, slice the banana bread and wrap each slice in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition – is and approximate and is based on per slice.
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precise measurements and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales
Nutrition
Calories : 499kcal
Carbonhydrates: 51g
Protein: 8g
Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g
Monounsaturated Fat : 6g
Trans Fat : 1g
Cholesterol: 86mg
Sodium: 321mg
Potassium : 366mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar : 17g
Vitamin A: 559IU
Vitamin C: 5mg
Calcium: 45mg
Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!
previous post
10 comments
I’ve made a few different banana bread recipes in my 32 years but this takes the cake by a mile. Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant – but honest to goodness this is the bomb.
I swapped the granulated sugar for Splenda and I added one tsp of baking powder and walnuts into the batter. It’s beyond perfect 😍
Thanks so much Justine! Glad you enjoyed it! N x
I’ve tried SO many banana bread recipes. This one is by far the best! Thanks Nick!
Thanks Karlin! I’m so glad to hear that! N x
Delicious, very good recipe, I replaced the oats w a cinnamon streusel on top.
We are almost the whole thing in one day which is amazing because I don’t usually like banana bread, but it was amazing 🤩
Yum! Biggest compliment ever! N x
Have made many banana bread/ cakes over the years, but this one is in my list of favourite with 5***** in front of the recipe. Love it.
Thanks so much, Carole! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe made it onto your favorites list with a 5-star rating. It means a lot that you enjoyed it. Appreciate you sharing your feedback. N x
Amazing banana bread! It is 100% moist and fluffy. I even subbed in wholemeal flour, a bit of extra yoghurt, and less bananas (because I didn’t have enough) and it still was better than any other recipe I’ve used…ever! I’m going to experiment with less sugar and maybe some fat alternatives, just because my doctor says I shouldn’t consume full-fat- dairy thanks to a hereditary cholesterol issue. If I can replicate the fluffiness and moisture, then it will be in our regular rotation every few weeks.
One question – does it freeze and defrost well??
Thanks for the amazing feedback, Lisa! I’m so glad the recipe turned out well even with your substitutions—that’s such a testament to its versatility. It freezes and defrosts beautifully—just slice it, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, and it’ll be as moist and fluffy as when you baked it. Let me know how your experiments with less sugar and fat alternatives go! N x