About This Recipe

Banana bread is the most democratically beloved quick bread in existence. Every culture that has access to bananas and an oven has some version of it, and the recipe that has spread most widely, the American-style loaf made with very ripe bananas, oil or butter, eggs, and flour, is one of the most consistently successful home baking recipes ever devised. It is hard to make badly and very easy to make excellently.

The single most important variable in banana bread is the ripeness of the bananas. A banana with a fully black skin and a near-liquid interior contains concentrated sugars and developed flavour compounds that produce a banana bread with intense, complex banana character. The same recipe made with yellow bananas produces something pleasant but noticeably less interesting. There is no shortcut that fully replicates the flavour of a genuinely overripe banana.

The loaf format makes this quick bread one of the most practical in the collection. It slices cleanly, keeps well for days, travels without crumbling, and is equally at home as a breakfast slice, an afternoon snack, or a simple dessert. The caramelised top that develops during baking, slightly darker than the interior and slightly sweet and crackled, is the most beautiful and most characteristic element of a properly made banana bread.

History and Origins

Banana bread recipes appeared in American cookbooks in the 1930s as a practical solution to the problem of overripe bananas following the widespread adoption of home refrigeration. Pillsbury and Gold Medal flour companies published banana bread recipes in 1933. It became one of the most widely baked quick breads in the United States and has remained so. During the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020 banana bread became a global phenomenon as home baking surged.

Banana Bread

Recipe by By butter u0026 berries

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Calories

2500

kcal

Ingredients

• •t3 very ripe bananas mashed

• •t150g brown sugar

• •t80ml neutral oil or melted butter

• •t2 large eggs

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •t200g plain flour

• •t1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• •t1 tsp cinnamon

• •t0.5 tsp salt

• •t100g chocolate chips optional

Directions

• very ripe bananas mashed
• 150g brown sugar
• 80ml neutral oil or melted butter
• large eggs
• tsp vanilla extract
• 200g plain flour
• tsp bicarbonate of soda
• tsp cinnamon
• tsp salt
• 100g chocolate chips optional

Notes

• Use bananas with completely black skins for the best flavour. The darker and softer the banana the more concentrated and complex the flavour in the finished loaf. Yellow bananas produce a significantly less flavourful result.
  Do not overmix after adding flour. Eight to ten folds is enough. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes the loaf tough and slightly rubbery rather than tender and soft.
  The loaf is done when the top is deeply golden and cracked and a skewer inserted in the very centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Wet batter on the skewer means more time is needed.
  This loaf is better on day two than day one. The banana flavour deepens overnight and the crumb becomes more cohesive and tender. Wrap it and wait if you can.
  A crack along the top of the loaf is entirely normal and actually desirable. It indicates the loaf rose properly during baking and the interior expanded against the slightly set exterior crust.
  If the top is browning too quickly before the centre is cooked tent loosely with a piece of foil for the final 15 minutes of baking. This protects the crust while allowing the interior to finish cooking.
  Brown the butter before adding it to the batter for a nuttier, more caramelised flavour that takes banana bread from good to exceptional. This extra five-minute step makes a noticeable and worthwhile difference

Make Ahead Tips

Banana bread is an ideal make-ahead bake. Make 1 to 2 days ahead for the best flavour. Keeps wrapped at room temperature for 4 days. Freeze for 3 months.

Storage and Serving

Wrap tightly in cling film or foil. Keeps at room temperature for up to 4 days and improves over the first 2 days. Freeze whole or in slices for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Toast slices from frozen in a toaster for an excellent quick breakfast.

Variations and Substitutions

Add 80g of toasted walnuts or pecans to the batter alongside or instead of chocolate chips for a classic banana nut bread. Replace chocolate chips with dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates for a different fruity sweetness. Add 2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter to the wet ingredients before mixing for a banana peanut butter loaf that is particularly popular with children. Swirl 3 tablespoons of Nutella through the batter just before pouring into the tin for a marbled banana Nutella bread. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder alongside the flour for a chocolate banana version that does not require chips. Replace cinnamon with cardamom and nutmeg for a more exotic, warmly spiced version. Make banana bread muffins by dividing the batter between 12 muffin cases and baking at 190C for 18 to 20 minutes for individual portions that are ready 35 minutes faster than the loaf. For an indulgent brunch version spread each warm slice with salted butter and a drizzle of honey.