This classic banana bread recipe combines dark brown sugar, creamy unsalted butter, a touch of cinnamon, and fresh mashed bananas for a soft, tender slice that melts in your mouth. Whether enjoyed warm with a smear of butter or packed as a afternoon snack, it's a quick, foolproof bake the whole family will love. Check out video from Preppy Kitchen above for visual aid.
Ingredients (Serves 8 to 10 people / Yields 1 standard loaf)
- The Quick-Roasted Banana Base:
- 3 to 4 ripe Bananas (yellow or brown; unpeeled)
- The Dry Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups (215g) All-Purpose Flour (fluffed and spooned)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt (use 1/2 tsp if using fine table salt)
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- The Wet Batter Base:
- 1/2 cup (115g) Unsalted Butter (room temperature, softened)
- 3/4 cup (150g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar (packed tightly)
- 2 large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Quick-roast the bananas in the oven Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and lay your unpeeled bananas flat on the pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the skins turn completely black and soft to the touch. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
- Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Step 3: Peel and mash the roasted bananas Snip the tips off the blackened banana skins and squeeze the warm, pudding-like fruit straight into a bowl. Mash briefly with a fork into a coarse puree, leaving a few tiny banana chunks for texture.
- Step 4: Cream butter and brown sugar In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together until lightened in color and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Step 5: Mix in eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas Beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time, followed by 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl, then stir in the mashed banana puree until incorporated.
- Step 6: Gently fold in dry ingredients by hand Dump the dry flour mixture into the wet batter. Use a flexible silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients together by hand just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix, or the bread will turn dense and tough.
- Step 7: Pour, level, and bake Lightly butter or spray a standard 9x5-inch metal loaf pan (or line with parchment paper). Scrape the banana batter into the pan and level the top with your spatula. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 60 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Step 8: Cool and slice Let the banana bread rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack. Slice thick and serve warm!
Kitchen Gadgets & Pro Tips
- Effortless Butter & Sugar Creaming: Creaming cold butter and dense brown sugar by hand can be exhausting. A Electric Hand Mixer with whips butter, sugar, and eggs into a light, fluffy mixture in seconds without wrist strain. The built-in bowl rest groove lets you set the mixer edge directly on your bowl without dripping batter across your counter, while the snap-on case keeps all your beaters organized together.
- Gentle Folding Without Overmixing Batter: Overworking flour gluten creates tough, chewy banana bread instead of a tender slice. A Seamless Food-Grade Silicone Spatula folds dry ingredients gently into wet batter without tearing or leaving unmixed flour pockets at the bottom of your bowl.