This Banana Bread is moist, loaded with bananas, perfectly balanced for sweetness and is all made in one bowl. You'll love how easy and delicious it is!
- 1/2-1 cup unsalted butter room temperature; use ½ cup for a lighter banana bread
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or emulsion
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon *optional*
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated *optional*
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 to 2½ cups mashed overripe banana (about 500 g. Bananas vary in size, so measure by cups or weight instead of counting; that is roughly 5 small, 4 medium, or 3 large. More banana makes a moister loaf.)
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour fluffed, gently scooped, leveled; 1 cup = 150 g
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips can be replaced with 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 medium overripe banana sliced lengthwise
- 2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or any coarse sugar
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Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.
Line the 9″×5″ loaf pan with parchment or spray with non-stick spray. (Using a different pan? See the note below for sizes and bake times.)
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Clip the parchment. Use a couple of clips to hold the parchment tight against the pan walls, then set the pan aside.
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Cream together 1/2-1 cup unsalted butter , 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract or emulsion, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated(just a small pinch).
Beat with a whisk, spatula, or mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Tip: Cold or frozen butter? Microwave in 5-second bursts, turning between each (about 30 seconds from the fridge, 45 to 60 from frozen), until softened: it gives to a gentle press but still holds its shape, not melted.
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Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, whisking well before the next addition. Make sure the eggs are room temp, they cream better with butter.
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Work in 2 to 2½ cups mashed overripe banana (if you have a scale, you need about 500 g of peeled bananas), breaking them into rough pea- to thumbnail-size pieces with a fork or the end of the whisk. Keep them chunky, not smooth, so the batter stays thick and the crumb moist.
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Stir in 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder. Then fold in 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips , mixing just until no dry streaks remain.
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Scrape the batter into your lined pan.
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Smooth the top
with a spoon or spatula.
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Lay the split
1 medium overripe banana, cut side up.
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For a shiny, crackly top, dust with 2-3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (optional).
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Bake about 60 minutes for a 9″×5″ pan (see the note for other pan sizes and times).
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Check with a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean. Or use a thermometer and check that the center reads 200 °F
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Rest the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes.
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Turn it out onto a rack and let it cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Doubling or more? Reduce the baking soda and baking powder by about ¼. Chemical leaveners do not scale one-to-one, so cutting back keeps a bigger batch from rising more than the recipe is built for.
Which loaf pan? Pick the one you like — here is what each gives you and about how long it bakes:
- 9″×5″ (the standard size): a slightly shorter, wider loaf. Bakes about 60 minutes.
- 8½″×4½″ one pound pan (my favorite): a taller loaf with prettier slices. Bakes about 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Pullman loaf pan: longer and narrower, for smaller, neater slices. Bakes about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Whatever pan you use, it is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the center reads 200°F on a thermometer.
Top Tips
- Use really ripe bananas. The browner and spottier they are, the sweeter your loaf — the ugly ones are the good ones.
- Room-temperature eggs and butter. They cream together better and give you a higher rise.
- Keep the bananas chunky. Mash them to pea- and thumbnail-size pieces, not a smooth puree. That's what keeps the crumb moist.
- Don't overmix. Fold just until the flour disappears. Go past that and you build gluten, and the loaf bakes up dense.
- Add coarse sugar on top. It bakes into a crackly, crunchy top over the soft crumb.
- Don't overbake. Pull it the moment a <a href="https://amzn.to/4fqstLi">thermometer</a> reads about 200°F so it stays soft and moist.
- Try browned butter. Cook it until it's nutty and golden, chill it back to a soft solid, then cream it in as written. The caramel flavor is so worth it.