It doesn’t get much better than this easy banana bread recipe! It’s made in just one bowl with extra ripe bananas for optimal flavor. You can enjoy it plain or with your favorite mix-ins!
Quick bread is one of the easiest breads to make. I really enjoy cranberry walnut bread and banana bread!
My best ever banana bread is one of my most popular recipes and for good reason, it’s delicious! But the process is tedious and time-consuming because it uses brown butter and roasted bananas.
I wanted to create a banana bread that is just as delicious but much easier to make hence the name easy banana bread.
The great thing about this bread is it will stay moist for days! And it can be made with bananas you’ve tucked away in the freezer, refrigerator, or those that are turning super spotty on the counter.
I’ll give you all the tips on what to do to get the most out of those bananas!
How brown do bananas have to be for bread?
The spottier the banana the better! You can see in the image below, I have two super dark bananas that had been in my refrigerator for a couple weeks and one that has been on my counter for about a week.
The browner the peel, the sweeter the banana. This adds more flavor. They’ll also be softer which helps to keep the banana bread incredibly moist.
Bananas that you have frozen in the peel will work for this bread as well. They’ll be even softer once thawed and can go straight into the batter.
Can bananas be too ripe to use in banana bread?
If your bananas are black then, unfortunately, they have gone bad. You will need to toss them.
How do I make bananas ripen faster?
One way to make bananas ripe faster is to place them in a brown paper bag. Ethylene gas produced by the bananas will build up in the bag which will make the bananas ripen faster.
Remove the bananas from the bag once they reach the desired ripeness. You can then place them in the refrigerator if you don’t plan to use them right away or store them in the freezer.
How to make easy banana bread?
Step 1: Select the ripest bananas
I like to mash my bananas in a small bowl but if your bananas are super ripe or have been frozen and thawed, you can just place them into the batter whole and the mixer will mash them up.
Step 2: Make the bread batter
The great thing about this bread is you need just one bowl and a mixer!
Cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, vanilla, bananas, and yogurt. I like to use plain full-fat Greek yogurt but sour cream works just as well.
Mix in the baking soda and salt, followed by the flour. Make sure you are using the spoon and level method when measuring flour.
Step 3: Bake the bread
When making banana bread or any bread in a loaf pan, I like to position the oven rack to the lower third position. This helps prevent the top of the bread from over browning during baking.
But, if you do notice your bread turning too brown before it has finished baking, you can tent it will foil.
Tips for making easy banana bread
- Use the ripest bananas you can.
- This recipe works great with bananas that have been frozen. Just zap them in the microwave for a few seconds to thaw them then drop them straight into the batter. Use the mixer to mix them in.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or anything else you like are great additions to this basic banana bread recipe.
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Easy Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups (385 g) very ripe mashed bananas, about 3 to 4 bananas
- 1/4 cup (50 g) plain full-fat Greek yogurt, *
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour , sifted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8×4-inch baking pan; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the mashed banana and yogurt. Mix until well combined.
- Mix in the baking soda and salt followed by the flour. Take care not to over mix the batter.
- Immediately transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached. Tent loosely with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread and cool completely on a wire rack.
Nancy says
I’ll definitely be making this easy banana bread over the weekend. I have a freezer full of bananas!