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Moist homemade banana bread with a golden crust and ripe bananas, sliced and ready to serve.

Banana Bread

This easy Banana Bread is incredibly soft, moist, and packed with sweet banana flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and ripe bananas, it's the perfect homemade loaf for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 1 loaf (8-10 slices)
Course: Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 260
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 ripe bananas mashed (about 1½ cups)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease it well with butter and lightly dust with flour.
    Ingredients for homemade banana bread including ripe bananas, flour, eggs, butter, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
  2. Mash the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and will give the bread extra texture.
  3. Add the eggs and sugar to the mashed bananas and whisk until combined. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is smooth.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture using a spatula. Do not overmix. Stir just until no dry flour remains. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the loaf dense instead of soft and tender.
    Homemade banana bread batter mixed until just combined before baking.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown with a beautiful crack running through the center—that's exactly what you want.
  6. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Resist slicing it while it's still hot—the texture continues to set as it cools.

Notes

  • The darker and spottier the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your banana bread will be.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
  • This loaf freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Slice before freezing so you can thaw individual pieces whenever you like.