Classic easy banana bread recipe made in 1 bowl, and is ready to eat in 1 hour! It's the perfect way to use up overripe bananas and bake for the freezer. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste and customise the recipe by adding walnuts for crunch or chocolate chips for the ultimate flavour combination!
Grab those ugly brown bananas that have been forgotten in your fruit bowl...today we're making easy banana bread!
This easy banana bread recipe is one of my current favourites and is on regular baking rotation in my kitchen. There are so many things I love to bake, but when you just need to whip up something delicious quickly and without having to think too hard about it, you need a few back pocket recipes that you know will deliver the goods every time without fail. Chewy chocolate chip cookies fall into that category for me, along with white chocolate and raspberry muffins and of course this banana bread.
It's made in 1 bowl, and is ready to eat in 1 hour - minimal dishes, minimal hands on time and maximum reward when you take the first bite, even after you slightly burn your fingers cutting into it before it's cooled enough because who can resist fresh out of the oven banana bread? No one.
The best thing about this recipe is that it's pretty adaptable.
You can use anywhere from ½ cup of sugar for a loaf that's less sweet or up to 1 cup if you like it sweeter. I find that ¾ cup or just under is perfect for me.
If you like a little texture in your banana bread, chopped walnuts make a lovely addition (similar to my banana nut muffin recipe) or make it into the grown up version of my mini banana chocolate chip muffins and add chocolate chips!
It's the sort of thing that you bake and it reaches out and grabs you from the oven. I mean, it's banana bread, it's not exactly fancy but the aroma of freshly baked banana bread is enough to make you go back and brush your teeth for a second time that night because you just HAVE to have a piece before bed. True story.
It freezes well as a whole loaf or even as individual slices that can be grabbed out of the freezer and thrown into a lunchbox.
So if you've got an hour and a few bananas lying around, get to it! It's worth the effort just for the smell alone!
Easy Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 ½ cups)
- 100 grams butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (157.5g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (210g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional add ins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F and grease or line a loaf tin.
- Add the bananas to a large mixing bowl and mash using a fork. Add the melted butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla and whisk together.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the bowl and whisk together again, until all ingredients are combined. Fold in any optional add ins.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Slice and serve immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
- You may also wrap and freeze the whole loaf, or individual pieces that can be pulled out of the freezer and put straight into a lunchbox.
Anita says
Delicious! This is my new go to recipe for Banana loaf. I love how easy it is to throw together quickly but tastes moist.
Katie says
Have made this multiple times, delicious and easy. Thank you 😊
Ashleigh says
The effort to deliciousness ratio is amazing with this recipe! Couldn’t be easier, but still soooo good. On regular rotation in our house. Thank you!
Paige says
Super delicious!!!
Kara says
Just wondering why no baking powder? Just baking soda. Can you use self raising and baking soda? most of the others have flour baking powder and baking soda. Beauty recipe
Laura says
That's how I've tested this recipe, the baking soda gives plenty of rise without additional baking powder!
FM says
Fool proof recipe! I add spices and occasionally chocolate but it's perfect as is. Freezes really well and uses up heaps of bananas! Thanks so much!
Vicky says
So easy, basically wet, dry, mix, pour cook!
Selina Petley says
Best banana bread recipe ,no fail so easy too thanks so much
Mel says
Delicious banana bread! Turned out perfect - nice and soft with a great flavour.
Thanks for the recipe!
Fiona Blair says
Fantastic banana bread recipe, this is my new fave. I used 3 large bananas as that's what we had and 1/2 a cup of sugar. Great result!
Maribeth Morano Cavit says
Thank you so much for this recipe! First time to make banana bread and it came out really yummy. Easy to follow recipe. I used brown sugar and halved the amount, and it was still fantastic.
Trish Bremner says
Lovely and very easy to make. Will make again. Used brown sugar at half the amount.
Janice says
This is quite literally the best banana bread I have ever tasted and now I tell everyone they haven't tasted the best banana bread until they try the one I make because of this amazing recipe! Not only is it so quick and easy but it comes out perfect every time, the perfect amount of softness and moistness I genuinely don't think I will try any other recipe again. Ive been using this Recipe for 2 years and to say I love it is an understatement.
Laura says
Thank you so much for that amazing review Janice!
Michelle Kelly says
Delicious... used brown sugar
Rachel says
Great easy recipe. I sub the butter with olive oil, add some oats, LSA and an extra egg for more protein.
Jaime says
This banana bread is perfect! I make it in mini loaf pans. Only needs 20 minutes to bake.
Raymond Ellery [ aged 81] says
Would be the easiest loaf I have ever made and the tastiest, I have been baking at home for 60 years. The aroma from the loaf is mouth watering. And very popular with our visitors
Loren says
Just made 2 loaves . Doubled the recipe. They look just like your pic. So easy and tasty. Thank you ⚘️
Melissa says
Easy tasty great for the family
Julie says
I made this yesterday, so easy and delicious. Huge hit with the family. Definitely making a couple of extra to freeze if I can stop them scoffing it while it’s still warm.
Ingrid says
Super moist, delicious banana bread. I did halve the sugar and it was lovely