Best Homemade Banana Bread

The best homemade banana bread is moist, tender, and loaded with flavour. With a few easy steps, you will be smelling banana bread baking in the oven in under an hour. A golden-brown crust and a buttery soft inside balanced with the crunchy texture of the nuts, this bread is the perfect breakfast or anytime snack.

3 slices of banana bread on top of each other

Just the mention of banana bread can send our senses into overdrive. That familiar scent of banana bread baking in the oven is something we’ve all come to love. And if you have never had the pleasure of having a homemade banana bread, well get ready!

If you’ve got bananas sitting on the counter that are ripe or even overripe and turning dark on the outside, this is the perfect time to use them up and not have them go to waste. The more ripe the banana, the sweeter your bread will be.

You can swap out the nuts in this recipe for other things if nuts aren’t your preference. Things like raisins or chocolate chips are a nice addition. If you are a fan of the added crunch, you can definitely substitute the type of nut you use. As mentioned hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans are great!

Ingredients

  • Flour -All purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Butter – Melted and cooled
  • Brown Sugar -Packed
  • Eggs -1 whole and 1 yolk (room temperature)
  • Honey
  • Bananas -mashed
  • Chopped nuts – hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans

Why use room temperature ingredients?

With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients, because it is easier to mix the ingredients and it produces a more tender cake.

So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen.

This easy banana bread is delicious served warm or at room temperature. It is a great grab-n-go snack and you can take it up a notch and serve it with some ice cream for dessert!

How to make homemade banana bread

Preheat your oven, grease, and flour a loaf pan. This is also a good time to melt the butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients which include the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl stir the wet ingredients together. The melted butter, brown sugar, egg, yolk, and honey. Then add in the mashed bananas and stir to combine.

the ingredients for banana bread, whisking the dry ingredients in a glass bowl

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine being careful not to overmix. Last, fold in the nuts and add to the loaf pan.

the ingredients mixed and in a loaf pan

Bake until done. A simple way to make sure it’s done is to take a toothpick and stick it in the centre of the bread. If it comes out clean it’s done! Let cool and serve with butter, jam, or nothing at all!

How to ripen bananas?

If you have bananas that are not ripe yet and really want to ripen them in a pinch, a great way to do this is to leave the peel on and place them in the oven on a baking sheet at 250 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. You will notice the peel will be completely black but you will have a very ripe, sweet, and mushy interior ready to be used for your baking needs.

Can I freeze ripe bananas?

Yes! Don’t throw them out. If you’ve got ripe bananas on your counter but are not quite ready to use them, freeze them. When you are ready to use them, your thawed bananas will be extremely mushy which is what you want when making banana bread.

banana bread baked in the loaf pan

How to store homemade banana bread?

This bread is best kept at room temperature wrapped tightly to keep in the moisture. It can keep in the fridge as well for up to a week in an airtight container however there is a higher chance the moisture will escape due to the cold air in the fridge. You can also freeze banana bread for a very long time, but best to be used within 3-4 months.

Can I substitute brown sugar for white sugar?

Absolutely you can. Brown sugar contains molasses and therefore will give your bread a bit of a different flavour and the signature dark colour of banana bread. However, if you do not have any on hand you can definitely swap it for white sugar. You may have a lighter bread in the end, but the level of sweetness will be the same.

So if you are looking for a delicious sweet bread, I hope you give this Best Homemade Banana Bread a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

banana bread in a black loaf pan on a wire rack

More Delicious Quick Breads

3 slices of banana bread on top of each other

The Best Homemade Banana Bread

Rosemary Molloy
This homemade banana bread is moist, tender, and loaded with flavour. With a few easy steps, you will be smelling banana bread baking in the oven in under an hour.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf
Calories 3912 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt*
  • 1/2 cup butter (melted and cooled) (105 grams)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed) (165 grams)
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup honey (85 grams)
  • 3 ripe bananas (mashed)
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans) (150 grams)

*If you use salted butter then add 1 pinch of salt.

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Grease & flour or spray a 9 inch loaf pan.
    • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda cinnamon and salt.
    • In a large bowl stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg and yolk, and honey. Add the mashed bananas and stir until combined.
    • Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine (do not over mix). Fold in the nuts and spoon into loaf pan. Bake for approximately 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3912kcalCarbohydrates: 544gProtein: 65gFat: 178gSaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 370mgSodium: 3325mgPotassium: 2775mgFiber: 29gSugar: 274gVitamin A: 4802IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 612mgIron: 21mg
    Keyword banana bread with honey, banana bread with nuts
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