Best Banana Bread

Banana Bread is the reason those three bananas going black on your counter are worth keeping. The riper and more spotted they are, the sweeter and moister this loaf turns out, so the fruit you were about to throw away is exactly what makes it good.

The one step I wouldn’t skip here is browning the butter first. It takes a few extra minutes on the stove and gives the loaf a nutty flavor you can’t get from plain melted butter. Everything else is one bowl of dry, one bowl of wet, and a single loaf pan.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• The overripe bananas you’d otherwise toss are what sweeten and moisten the loaf, so nothing goes to waste.
• Browning the butter first is what gives the loaf its toasted, nutty edge.
• It comes together in one bowl of dry and one bowl of wet, with no mixer needed.
• Once it’s baked and cooled, the loaf slices and freezes well, so you can wrap and stash half for later.
• The chopped nuts fold through the batter and top the loaf for crunch, or you can swap in chocolate chips instead.

Ingredients You’ll Need

A few of these are worth a note before you start.

• Overripe bananas: the ones covered in brown spots mash down easily and carry most of the sweetness, so save this bake for when they’ve gone soft. Three small mashed bananas is the right amount for one loaf.
• Browned butter: the step that sets this loaf apart. You melt the butter in a pan and keep it moving until it smells nutty and turns golden, then pull it off the heat before it burns.
• Greek yogurt: keeps the crumb tender, and sour cream stands in if that’s what you have on hand.
• Chopped nuts: the cup of nuts is what makes this a banana nut bread. Half goes through the batter and half over the top, so every slice has crunch and the crown gets toasted.
• Two sugars: granulated for sweetness, and light brown for a little extra moisture.

How to Make This Banana Bread

A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

Six steps take it from bowl to loaf, and the order follows the recipe card.

Heat the oven and line the pan

Preheat to 350F (180C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper so the loaf lifts out cleanly.

Whisk the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg.

Combine the wet ingredients

In a second bowl, mix the browned butter, eggs, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and mashed bananas until creamy and fully blended.

Bring the two together

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined, then fold in half of the nuts. Stop as soon as the dry flour disappears, because overmixing makes the bread dense.

Fill the pan and bake

Scrape the batter into the lined pan and scatter the remaining nuts over the top. Bake for about 60 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes, and pull the loaf when a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Cool before slicing

Let the loaf cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then lift it out. Cooling lets it set, so the slices hold together instead of crumbling.

Recipe Notes and Expert Tips

Here are some pro tips to make sure your banana bread turns out fabulous every time:

• I watch the butter closely while it browns, since it goes from golden and nutty to burnt in under a minute.
• If the bananas are very ripe, a fork mashes them fine. A potato masher or a few seconds with a mixer gets them smoother.
• Don’t overwork the batter once it comes together. A few lumps are fine, while a smooth, beaten batter bakes up dense.
• Ovens run differently, so trust the toothpick over the clock and start testing at 50 minutes.
• Give the loaf its full 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out, or warm slices will tear.

Recipe Variations

• Chocolate chip banana bread: stir a half cup of chocolate chips through the batter alongside or in place of the nuts. The recipe notes call out this swap, so it’s a supported change that holds up with no other adjustment to the bake.
• Muffins: divide the same batter into a lined muffin tin. This version is supported by the recipe notes, and muffins bake faster than a loaf, so start checking them well before the loaf time is up.
• Sour cream loaf: use an equal amount of sour cream in place of the Greek yogurt. This is a supported substitution the recipe already allows, with nothing else adjusted.
• Oil in place of browned butter: olive or coconut oil works in a pinch and keeps the loaf moist, but you lose the nutty flavor the browned butter brings. Treat it as a shortcut rather than an upgrade, since it hasn’t been tested against the browned-butter version here.

How to Store Leftovers

Wrapped in foil or plastic at room temperature, the loaf stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. The fridge buys you closer to a week, though it can dry the crumb, so let cold slices come back to room temperature before eating.

To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic and then in a freezer bag, where it keeps for a couple of months. Slice it first if you want to pull one piece at a time and thaw only what you need.

That freezing note is for leftovers after the loaf is baked. To get ahead before serving, bake it a day early and keep it wrapped at room temperature. I find it slices cleanest the day after baking, once it’s fully cooled and set.

What to Serve with Banana Bread

Banana bread earns its place at breakfast or as an afternoon slice, and a few simple pairings round it out.

A hot cup of coffee or tea is the classic match; its bitterness balancing the sweet loaf. Fresh fruit and a spoon of yogurt turn a slice into a fuller breakfast. A scoop of vanilla or salted caramel ice cream tips it over into dessert, the cold against the soft bread.

FAQs

More Easy Dessert Recipes to Bake Next

If this loaf goes down well, these are the ones to try next.

• Easy Apple Pie With the Best Filling for a flaky crust and spiced Granny Smith apples when you want a classic bake.
• Best Peanut Butter Pie for a creamy no-bake peanut butter filling set over a quick baked graham crust.
• Easy Pumpkin Bread with Maple Frosting for the same quick-bread routine with pumpkin and a maple cream cheese top.
• Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies for a pantry-staple cookie ready in about 20 minutes start to finish.
• Marry Me Cookies for browned butter cookies with white and semisweet chips, if the browned butter here won you over.