With its super-moist and buttery texture, banana and brown sugar flavors, soft crumb, and 1,300+ reviews, this is a delicious AND undeniably popular banana bread recipe. You need 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas.
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips. It’s one of the most popular recipes I’ve published on this website, out of over 1,200. This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
One reader, Michele, says: “Perfectly delish every time! Absolutely foolproof. Nuts, no nuts, smidge more or less of sour cream—no problem… bigger bananas, smaller—no worries, perfect, beyond delicious EVERY time. ★★★★★”
This is my favorite banana bread recipe, one that I’ve cherished for years. It’s one of those classic recipes that you start to know by heart, just like a good pie crust or chocolate chip cookies recipe. This bread comes to mind first when I have leftover spotty bananas on the counter, and it’s the bread that’s on constant rotation in my freezer stash.
One reader, Tricia, commented: “I have this recipe on speed dial. LOL. It is so tasty and is always a crowd pleaser. My kids and entire family love it!!! ★★★★★”
Yes, I have this recipe on speed dial too!
I’ve tried dozens of banana bread recipes over the years, and when I baked and originally published this recipe many years ago, I never looked back.
Why You’ll Love This Banana Bread Recipe Too
- Mega banana flavor
- Not overly sweet, so banana flavor shines
- Dense, but still quite tender & soft
- Buttery & stays moist for days (tastes best on day 2, just like peanut butter chocolate chip zucchini bread)
- Straightforward, simple recipe
- Freezes wonderfully
- Excellent plain or with nuts or chocolate chips—or a swipe of cinnamon butter
How to Mash Bananas
Did you know you can use your electric mixer to mash bananas? Break or slice the spotty bananas into large pieces and place in the bowl of your stand mixer—or use a regular mixing bowl and your hand mixer. Begin beating on low, then gradually increase to medium-high speed as the bananas break down into mashed banana. Transfer the bananas to another bowl and use the mixing bowl for the butter and sugar. (No need to clean it—some mashed banana remnants is fine.)
I do this when I mash bananas for banana muffins and banana chocolate chip breakfast cookies too.
Other Banana Bread Ingredients
- Butter: Use softened butter for a soft texture and irresistible butter flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Use all brown sugar in this recipe. In the headnotes for this chocolate chip cookies recipe, I explain that brown sugar yields soft and moist cookies. Well, brown sugar works that same magic in banana bread, too. It also adds wonderful flavor.
- Eggs: Eggs supply cakes, cupcakes, breads, doughs, and cookies their stability and structure, as well as a tender texture. You’ll need 2 large eggs for this.
- Sour Cream or Yogurt: Sour cream or yogurt adds even more moisture to this banana bread. (You can use the 2 interchangeably in most baking recipes.)
For banana nut bread, add 3/4 cup of chopped nuts to the banana bread batter; I like using either pecans or walnuts. If you’re nuts for nuts (LOL), you’ll enjoy the toasty slight crunch nestled inside the soft crumbs. If you’re not a nut person, feel free to leave them out or replace with chocolate chips. For a whole wheat version, try my whole wheat banana bread. Or for a chocolate version, try my double chocolate banana bread.
Can I Use Frozen Bananas?
Yes and I do this often. Thaw the frozen bananas at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe below. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with 1 and 1/2 cups of banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
Can I Turn This Into a Banana Bundt Cake?
I recommend using my extremely similar, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe.
How to Freeze Banana Bread
Freeze banana bread using these instructions to preserve its fresh flavor and texture for months:
- Cool baked banana bread completely.
- Tightly wrap the loaf or slices (individually or grouped) in 2–3 layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Place wrapped banana bread in a large freezer-friendly storage bag or reusable container.
- Date the bag and freeze for up to 3–4 months. Thaw wrapped or unwrapped in the refrigerator or at room temperature. All methods work like a charm!
I like to freeze the quick bread in slices because slices thaw much quicker than a whole loaf.
Overall, this is an easy recipe for classic banana bread. The batter takes about 10 minutes to throw together, the bread stays moist for days, and nothing beats the smell of fresh banana bread in the oven. (Except for, maybe, zucchini bread or pumpkin bread… try those next!)
Other Favorite Banana Recipes:
- Banana Cake & Banana Cupcakes
- Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread
- Banana Cream Pie & Banoffee Pie
- Banana Muffins or Healthier Chocolate Banana Muffins & Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins
- Baked Banana Oatmeal
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
My Favorite Banana Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
With its super-moist and buttery texture, banana and brown sugar flavors, soft crumb, and 1,000+ reviews, this is a delicious AND undeniably popular banana bread recipe. You need 4 large ripe bananas. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 3–4 ripe bananas)
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: 3/4 cup (90g) chopped pecans or walnuts, or 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the mashed bananas, yogurt/sour cream, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the nuts/chocolate chips, if using. The batter should be thick.
- Pour and spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil halfway through, to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. Cool the bread in the pan set on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove the bread from the pan and place it directly on the rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Store wrapped tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Update in 2025: With enough reader feedback stating the bread can often be too moist and dense, and therefore not bake properly, my team and I retested the bread multiple times over the past 2 years; we slightly reduced the amount of mashed bananas from 2 cups to 1 and 1/2 cups.
- Butter: If needed, you can use salted butter in this recipe with no other changes needed. I’ve also successfully reduced the butter down to 6 Tablespoons (85g) with no issue (just as tasty).
- Brown Sugar: This is not an overly sweet quick bread. If you want a sweeter banana bread, increase to 1 cup (200g) brown sugar. Feel free to replace some or all of the brown sugar with regular white granulated sugar.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: This banana bread also tastes fantastic with cream cheese frosting on top! To make it, beat 4 ounces (112g) of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup (60g) of softened unsalted butter together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in 1 cup (120g) of confectioners sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until combined. Spread on cooled loaf.
- Banana Bread Muffins: Use this banana bread recipe to make 15 banana bread muffins. Spoon the batter into a lined or greased muffin pan (fill each to the top with batter) and bake for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C); then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 16–17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total bake time for the banana bread muffins is about 21–23 minutes. The initial burst of hot air helps those muffins rise nice and tall! Or try my quick & easy banana muffins.
- Brown Sugar: Feel free to substitute the same amount of regular white granulated sugar or coconut sugar. I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners.
- No Sour Cream or Yogurt? Feel free to use 1/3 cup mashed banana (in addition to what is called for in the recipe), unsweetened applesauce, or even canned pumpkin puree.
- Frozen Bananas: You can use frozen bananas here. Thaw the frozen bananas. Drain off any excess liquid, mash, then use as instructed in the recipe. See How to Freeze & Thaw Bananas for Baking. Try not to mash too much or else you’ll be left with banana-y liquid; some chunks are great.
- Chocolate Chips: I love this bread with chocolate chips, too. Feel free to add 1 cup of your favorite chocolate chips. No need to leave out the nuts if you add the chocolate chips. Chocolate chips and nuts are both optional.
- Can I Turn This Into Banana Bundt Cake? There isn’t enough batter. I recommend using my extremely similar, scaled-up recipe for chocolate marble banana Bundt cake instead. You can leave out the chocolate swirl in that recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Thank you for this recipe. It’s the most consistently delicious I’ve come across.
How long do the muffins cool in the tin?
Hi Mackenzie, Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to continue cooling.
I made 2 loaves on Friday and they were perfect! Gave 1 away on Saturday as a gift and the other is almost gone (Sunday)! The recipe is clear and easy…delicious, with the perfect crumb-exactly how my family loves it! One hour and the results were very well received! Thank you…I’ll be making this very often!
I LOVE this recipe!! My wife makes it all the time.
I’m trying my hand at it while she’s sick. Is there a way to sub in some whole wheat flour?
Hi Erin! For whole wheat flour, here is our whole wheat banana bread recipe.
Best banana bread i have made EVER!!!
You’re my go to girl for everything! Thank you my friend !
Can I sub the butter for vegetable oil?
Hi Luke, in place of the butter, you could try solid coconut oil. You need a fat that is solid at room temperature so that it can be creamed together with the sugar, so vegetable oil will not work here. Hope you enjoy it!
How much coconut oil should be used in place of the butter?
1/2 cup.
I would like to try this recipe can you use buttermilk in place of sour cream or yogurt? Thanks….bb
Hi Babs, you could use buttermilk instead of yogurt or sour cream (same amount), but the batter will be on the thinner side and, as a result, the baked bread will end up a little squat without as much rise. We recommend sticking to the recipe for best results.
This is so good! It’s not super sweet. And it’s very moist.
I use this wonderful recipe and integrate the streusel from your Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Great combination!
Absolutely my favorite banana bread which is always thought to just be healthy and dry, this one is a little mire endulging but so moist and good!
My new go-to banana bread recipe! I followed this exactly as written and it turned out perfectly.
Good afternoon-
I live in the french Pyrenees and made your recipe to share with my French friends up here in the mountains. They were truly delighted! And they being extremely critical of all & anything linked to gastronomy, that in itself is a major thumbs up!!
Merci.
Thank you for a fantastic recipe. This was the first time I have made banana bread and the bananas were extremely ripe. Next time I will reduce the sugar amount. The cake was so moist and the taste was just right. Thank you again.
I popped these in the oven and realized I had forgotten to add the eggs! I was concerned they would not rise or taste good. They came out just fine, can’t tell there’s no eggs.
Made this banana bread last week and I loved it. I added pecans 🙂
Though the bread is not super sweet, would it be possible to lower the amount of sugar, and if so what would you recommend? I don’t want to replace it with sweeteners!, just use less sugar.
Also wondering if this could be made with whole wheat flour (all of it or maybe half)? Any suggestions on that?
Hi Maakie, I think you would love our whole wheat banana bread recipe!
I baked your banana bread as provided on your Site!
It turned out the best I’ve been able to bake!! Better than my old faithful one!!
Has a great aroma & Taste most of all. My recipe doesn’t provide the banana flavor as yours does!!
Thanks so very much for sharing this recipe!!
Dave Lacy
Love this recipe. I didn’t have sour cream so I replaced with a small box of banana pudding. Turned out great in my Bundt cake pan.
I have vanilla yogurt does that work and I just not add the vanilla extract or maybe add less of it?
Hi Kat, vanilla yogurt will work in a pinch! We would still add the vanilla extract.
Second time making this bread and it’s delicious! Mine has turned out quite flat on top both times. The edges rise and brown more than the center. Any tips to get more of the gentle dome effect? Thanks!
Hi Jamie! I wonder if your baking soda could be getting old. We would try with fresh!
Hi, Sally! Quick question, can you use non-fat Greek yogurt? Or does it have to be at least 2% or full-fat Greek yogurt? Thanks for your help!
Non-fat Greek yogurt is fine!
Thanks!
You never fail me. I only had white sugar and as you’d explained that brown sugar helps the moisture, I did half oil half butter to compensate, still creaming it with the sugar. It worked perfectly. And I used a round tin as I didn’t have a loaf tin. Came out great.
Hi Sally, I always have your banana bread muffins on hand for easy grab and go school snacks. Wondering if I can use a glass baking dish for this recipe. If so, any recommended changes?
Hi Amira, the bake time may be a few minutes longer for a glass pan, but otherwise all baking directions can remain the same. Make sure it’s a true 9×5 pan, not a little smaller (my glass Pyrex pan is a little smaller). Enjoy!
Have you tried making this recipe Gluten Free?
Hi Doris, we haven’t tested a gluten free version, but let us know if you do.
How would you adjust this recipe for high altitude?
Hi Daniella! I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Firstly, I love this recipe and make it regularly – it is a fan favorite in my house and of my neighbors. I have come to notice that 4-5 bananas (I usually freeze/thaw/drain) never comes out to enough for me, so I always end up supplementing with unsweetened applesauce – but my children prefer that flavor profile better. I also have noticed, after several rounds of this recipe, that I always get 12 muffins, never 15. Last, I regularly use cast iron loaf and muffin pans, so I usually drop the heat for my loaf to 325 and add about 10 extra minutes and for my muffins I bake as written.
Question about creaming butter/sugar :
I see on tutorial how you can tell properly creamed – color wise IF you are using white sugar — but how do I know if the recipe calls for brown sugar ?
Thanks
Hi Debra, great question! The goal is to incorporate air into the butter, which helps give your finished baked good the right texture. When you’re creaming butter and brown sugar, you can’t rely on the color change as much because the brown sugar keeps the mixture naturally darker. Instead, look for texture and consistency. Properly creamed butter and brown sugar will look noticeably lighter and fluffier than when you started. It should be smooth and creamy, with a slightly whipped appearance, rather than dense or greasy. You may still see some tiny flecks or grains of brown sugar—that’s perfectly fine. The most important thing is to cream the butter and sugar for the amount of time the recipe recommends, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. And remember to start with proper room-temperature butter, which is cool to the touch, not overly soft or greasy. Hope this helps!
I’ve had many banana breads and this one is the best I’ve ever had! I added chocolate chips and it’s unbelievably amazing!! The taste of the bread has so much banana flavor and pairs well with the chocolate.
This recipe has made great memories baking with my grandchildren. They always say best banana bread ever. We just swap out the nuts for chocolate chips. Thank you