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
- 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 3–4 ripe bananas)
- 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 yogurt, vanilla, and mashed bananas 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 cool it directly on the rack until ready to slice and serve.
- 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
Not as flavorful as other banana bread recipes I have tried. My loaf came out very dense and fine. A bit dry. Not moist. Perhaps I goofed on the baking time, or mixed the ingredients for too long a time. Better the second day, but still on the dry side. I’ll keep looking – this recipe is not in my top recipe for banana bread.
Hi Peggy, we’re so sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this bread. It is denser bread and is quite moist thanks to all the bananas—if yours came out dry, it’s possible that it was overbaked or your flour was overmeasured. Regardless, thank you for giving it a try!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Mary, For best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
I made this on video call with a friend and it was pretty easy to make and it tasted okay! My one mayor complaint is no where in this recipe did it call for baking powder. My bread didn’t rise whatsoever and stayed compressed for the entire 60 minutes it was in the oven. When I took it out and taste tested it, it was so incredibly dense.
Hi Ella, Thank you for trying this recipe. For this banana bread we use baking soda, not baking powder. You might enjoy reading about the difference in this post. Also, be sure that your baking soda is fresh. We find it starts to lose its effectiveness after about 3 months, even if it’s not technically expired. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, too, as that can cause the bread to bake up squat and dense.
Where’s the nutritional info for this banana bread?
Hi Linda, we don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Made buttermilk since I did not have yogurt nor sour cream . It came out very good.
so excited to try this? Any adjustments to make for a 9×9 pan?
Hi SR, our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful for determining how much batter to use in a 9×9 pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi Sally: Thought I’d share a tip that I use. Instead of mashing / mixing the ripe bananas, tear the banana apart in pieces/chunks and FOLD them into the batter for a more Banana-ie product.
I also use organic Stevia liquid in place of the sugar at times when I am watching my sugar intake.
Eddie Wightman
Oh Sally this is so delicious! I rescued some overripe bananas from the freezer and it was a bit more banana than specified, but it was well-baked, moist but not claggy. I’ve had great results from your recipes! This was outstanding Your lemon meringue pie recipe is a dream as well!
My mom’s chemotherapy has made it difficult for her to enjoy a lot of foods, but she absolutely loved this bread. I am grateful for you, friend. Thank you for this recipe.
Can this be baked in a standard 8in disposable pan? They usually 8×3 inch. Or would it be too much batter?
Hi Beatriz! This would be too much batter for a 8×3 inch pan. You could fill your pan about 2/3 full, then make some muffins from the extra batter.
Omg I just made your banana bread n let me tell you yummy from start to the last crumbs I give you 6 ****** yummy thanks again
Sally to the rescue. The best banana bread/muffin recipe. I recently retired, and finally have time to enjoy baking but DH isn’t a sweets person, a friend told me to try your recipes. He is now asking for Sally’s banana bread, Sally’s Big Fat Peanut butter cookies, blueberry muffins, so many of your treats. I love that you give directions and options for reducing the sugar/sweetness in your recipes. Thank you
I love this recipe! We have an empty nest now and would like to make mini loaves to keep one and share the others. What changes would you make to accomplish this while keeping the same great texture and taste?
Hi Priscilla, you can absolutely use this recipe to make mini loaves. Same baking temperature, but bake time will vary depending on the exact size of your mini loaf pans. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. So glad this is a favorite for you!
Delicious! Not too sweet super moist. I used sour cream, not yogurt next time I’ll try the yogurt. But love it just the way I made it.
I use this recipe all the time. It’s forgiving and with all the options if you don’t have exact ingredients, makes it fool proof. I am very sick but love homemade baked goods. It’s so easy to throw together and bake. Thank you for this recipe.
Just made this recipe as muffins. They are delicious!I have told all my friends about Sally’s Baking Addiction. I have learned so much and can count on success with ever recipe that I make. Thanks Sally!
Terrible. Soggy, heavy and just plain weird. Nothing like bread. Going back to my traditional recipe. Even smelt awful.
Hi J-A if this banana bread, using usual baking ingredients, tasted and smelled bad, I wonder if one of your ingredients was expired or mis-measured. Thank you for giving this recipe a try.
Well made it..taste more like baking soda then banana bread
Hi Brenda, when baking soda has a strong flavor, it’s usually going bad. We recommend using new baking soda for your next bake!
Why is this so good? Thank you!!!!
I’ve made this banana bread a hundred times already — it’s hands-down the best out there! Down here in southern Germany, especially in Bavaria, people go absolutely crazy for it. Every time I bring it to a party, it’s gone within minutes — no joke! Everyone keeps asking for the recipe, and some even think I bought it from a fancy bakery. It’s just that good. Honestly, I feel like a total rockstar every time I show up with it. Huge thanks for this amazing recipe — it’s pure magic!
Outstanding recipe. Perfect banana bread
Just made this from some frozen bananas and added the pecans and made the cream cheese frosting! I also increased the brown sugar per the note to 1 cup for my sweet tooth family. This is an excellent recipe – it’s delicious! My father in law will love it. Thanks for another great recipe.
This is the best! I don’t particularly care for banana bread but this recipe with a slight change (coconut yogurt instead of plain yogurt) has now made it a favorite. Could most likely use any flavored yogurt. Lemon would probably be nice too.
Thanks so much.
Oh… the degree of banana ripeness also makes a difference.
85 years old and still learning new tricks!
This is amazing! I used walnuts and the only thing I did differently is I added the crumb topping from your peach quick bread recipe. Thanks for another great recipe!
This recipe was a HUGE waste of time! Dry, tasteless & doughy. Made as per recipe
Hi Teresa, a dry banana bread is usually caused by over-baking or too much flour in the batter. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post. Thanks for giving it a try!
Followed the recipe to a T and had the same experience as Trina 🙁
Possibly the worst cake I’ve made but I’m really not sure where I went wrong. Measured and everything.
Agreed.
The reason is 2 cups of flour is way too much for a banana bread recipe, 1.5 cups is the standard
Holy moly this is delicious! My house smells amazing and waiting for it to fully cool but what I’ve tried it’s already delicious!
Love the recipe. I used an apple that I pureed, chocolate chips, walnuts crushed, and flax seed.
This recipe is sooooo good, especially with chocolate chips. I only had strawberry banana Greek yogurt on hand, and prayed to the banana bread gods it would turn out well and it was amazing. Not only did it enhance the banana flavor but the subtle strawberry was to die for. 10/10 recipe.
this has been my holy grail banana bread recipe since the time it was published, everyone who tastes it, loves it. I keep getting requests to make more. I saw now that you guys made an update on the banana amount because of some feedback but personally, it has always worked for me, so I’ll keep using the old amount. Overall, great job and thank you so much.
What a great recipe, love the additional ideas that really take the banana break e perience to a whole new level.
I have been making banana bread for 40 years and this is by far the best. Super delicious and moist. My new fave and go to from now on. Thanks for all the great tips; especially about covering the bread halfway through. That really makes a difference. I was wondering if raisins could be used in place of chocolate chips? Thank you!
Hi Mary Jane, we’re so glad you enjoyed the bread! Yes, you can absolutely use raisins instead of the chocolate chips.
I have been making banana bread for 40 years and this is by far the best. Super delicious and moist. My new fave and go to from now on. Thanks for all the great tips; especially about covering the bread halfway through. That really makes a difference. I was wondering if raisins could be used in place of chocolate chips? Thank you!
HI Mary Jane! Yes, you can use raisins to replace the chocolate chips/nuts.