The BEST Banana Bread Ever
I love banana bread. Like, it’s kind of an addiction. If there’s banana bread somewhere, I will find it and I will eat it. Case in point: when I studied abroad in London in 2013, I found a cafe with delicious banana bread and I ate there at least once a week. This banana bread recipe makes it into my rotation about once a month, and I have to ration it every time so it doesn’t disappear too quickly.
For the longest time, bananas were one of those foods that I couldn’t eat by themselves, but I loved them in muffins, pancakes, waffles, and breads. I’ve gotten better about it now, and I quite like a nice piece of toast with peanut butter and banana slices. But my preferred way of consuming bananas is definitely banana bread.
My Favorite Banana Bread Recipe
My mom likes to make banana bread every now and then. The loaf usually doesn’t last a week between my parents, and it disappears even faster when I go home. It makes a great breakfast and even an even better afternoon snack. Or really any-time-of-day snack.
I’ve put this recipe somewhere on the blog before, but it’s never gotten its own post. I love this recipe because it’s super simple, very banana-y and versatile. You can add whatever other flavors or mix-ins you’d like or enjoy it plain; it’s always delicious no matter how you make it. Add mini chocolate chips for a sweet touch, or pecans or walnuts for some crunch. Swirl in some peanut butter or Nutella to really take it to the next level. I’ve also sprinkled some crushed pecans or walnuts on top before baking.
This recipe calls for butter and eggs, but lately I’ve experimented with unsweetened applesauce as a replacement for either of those. It works best as a substitute for butter or oil. It adds some extra moisture and a subtle apple flavor, but it’s mellow and I actually really like it. Greek yogurt also works, but I prefer applesauce.
If enjoying for breakfast, I recommend toasting a thick slice and topping with a little butter and honey. At my favorite cafe in London, they served a thick slice toasted with yoghurt and honey. Mmmm.
But in all honesty, you just can’t go wrong with classic banana bread. I’ve got you drooling now, right?
Here is THE recipe for THE best banana bread ever.
Seriously, it’s the best you’ll ever have in your life. Pinky promise. I’ve adapted this recipe from Mom’s Junior League cookbook from the 80s. It’s the definition of tried and true.
Best Ever Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups AP flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 2 eggs (large)
- 3 bananas, mashed
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Splash almond or vanilla extract
- 1 cup mix-in of choice (chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper for easy bread removal.
- Combine first five ingredients (flour - salt) in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together butter, eggs, milk, extract, and half the bananas until well combined. Add remaining bananas and and mix again.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
- Fold in your mix-in, if desired.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle crushed nuts on top if desired.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the pan. Best served warm.
Make a batch and enjoy it for breakfast, morning snack, with your afternoon tea (at least I do), for dessert… the options are endless. Oh, and also let me know how long your loaf lasts. I’m genuinely curious.
This post was originally published in April 2016, and updated April 2020.
What’s your favorite thing to bake? How do you like your banana bread?
