Classic Banana Bread

Name: Classic Banana Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 very ripe medium bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed); 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 3/4 cup packed brown sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Banana bread is the most noble form of food waste prevention, and this is the recipe I have made more than any other in my life. The two things that matter: use bananas that are properly black-speckled (they should look almost embarrassing), and mash them thoroughly so they sweeten every crumb. A little brown sugar deepens the caramel notes, and one trick — taking it out while a tester still shows a few moist crumbs — keeps the loaf soft for days. Toast a thick slice, butter it generously, and thank your past self for not throwing those bananas away.

Slice of moist banana bread with visible banana flecks on a wooden board

By AmiraCuisinety Test Kitchen · recipe tested twice before publishing

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time55 minutes

Total Time1 hour 10 minutes

Servings10

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

3 very ripe medium bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth — a few small lumps are fine and add texture.
Stir the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla into the bananas until well combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Overmixing makes banana bread dense and rubbery.
Fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips if using, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 50–60 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, tent it with foil for the last 15 minutes.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a rack. Slice when fully cool — or warm, with butter, if patience is not your thing.

Tips for Success

Ripe bananas are the whole game. If yours are not black yet, bake them in their peels at 300°F for 20 minutes to ripen them fast.
For the deepest flavor, use half brown sugar and half granulated — the molasses in brown sugar complements the banana beautifully.
The loaf slices cleanest the next day. Wrap it tightly in foil once cool and it will stay moist for 3–4 days on the counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze banana bread?

Yes — wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic and foil, then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw slices in the toaster or microwave straight from frozen.

Can I make this into muffins?

Absolutely. Divide the batter among 12 lined muffin cups and bake at 350°F for 20–24 minutes. Check a few minutes early — muffins bake faster than a loaf.

Why did my banana bread sink in the middle?

Usually underbaking — the center sets last. Test with a toothpick in the very center and give it the full time; a sunken middle means the crumb was still batter when it came out.

Can I reduce the sugar?

You can drop to 1/2 cup if your bananas are very ripe and sweet. Below that, the loaf starts losing moisture and structure.

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