Simple Basic Banana Bread says it all. Basic ingredients. Simple to make. The old-fashioned classic never goes out of style.
This banana quick bread only uses 5 ingredients. Not too sweet. Filled with dark flecks. Moist and delicious. The perfect way to use up ripe bananas.
I LOVE when the simple things in life give us so much pleasure. You know what I am talking about. Those simple yet so delicious foods grandma used to make.
Minimal ingredients. Minimal effort. Moist and delicious results.
Back in the day when gramma had NO FANCY equipment to help her mix, cut or even measure the correct temperature. NO GOURMET ingredients, just simple, basic stuff out of the garden and a few standard store staples.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this easy banana quick bread are at the bottom of this post.
For This Recipe You Will Need:
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- mashed bananas (nice really ripe bananas work best)
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
This ultimate banana bread recipe is a reflection of those good old days. The days when food was a labour of love. When some of the best dinners were made with only a few ingredients, yet they tasted as if they came out of a Michelin Star restaurant.
Banana Basics
How ripe should bananas be for baking? For baking, ripe bananas are best. They usually are soft to the touch with LOTS of black spots on the peel.
How do you ripen bananas quickly? You can place them in a paper bag for 1-2 days.
To ripen bananas in the oven, warm unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 250ºF (and cool before using).
To ripen bananas in the microwave, with a fork or knife, poke through the peel on all sides. Place the banana in the microwave for 30 second intervals until they soften.
Can you freeze ripe bananas? Yes, all you have to do is peel them and place them in freezer bags for use later.
How To Make Simple Basic Banana Bread
You don’t need fancy equipment. I used a *(affiliate) handheld mixer. I know gramma would have only used a *(affiliate) wooden spoon.
- in a small bowl mash the bananas with a fork
- in a large bowl cream the butter and sugar
- add the eggs
- add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
- mix in the mashed bananas
- put the batter in a *(affiliate) loaf pan
- bake
This recipe is PERFECT for anyone just learning to bake. Only a few ingredients, simple directions and DELICIOUS results.
Recipe Tips
- Do not over mix, it will create a solid batter. This is a quick bread recipe and does not require thorough mixing of ingredients. Overmixing will cause the bread to not rise properly, and be under baked.
- Be sure to test your bread for doneness BEFORE the allotted baking time. You don’t want to over bake it. I use a *(affiliate) cake tester.
- Use the exact amount of bananas stated in the recipe. If you add more, the bread will be very dense.
Questions People Ask
How do you store banana bread? I like to leave it on the wrapped on the counter. Have you tried *(affiliate) Abeego beeswax wraps? They are AMAZING. The bread is kept fresh for 3-4 days, AND these are environmentally friendly. We all need to pitch in and help save the planet. You can also keep it wrapped in the fridge for longer storage.
Can you freeze banana bread? Yes, you sure can. I like to make several loaves at a time. You can freeze the whole loaf by tightly covering in food film. Or, you can slice it, and wrap up individual slices.
This works great for a quick snack. It thaws quickly, or you can pop it into the microwave and have warm banana bread whenever you like. My grandson LOVES this for an after school treat. It also is great for packing into lunches. It will be ready to eat when they are.
Can the recipe be used to make muffins instead? Absolutely. Pour the batter into a *(affiliate) muffin pan and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
Why does my bread crack on top? This happens when the loaf continues to rise after the top has set. Don’t worry, it will still be moist and delicious.
Still Need Ideas For Using Bananas?
- You can never go wrong with this Best Banana Cake recipe. It is a secret family recipe.
- Rocky Road Banana Bread is decadent and delicious.
- How about a banana split for breakfast? A healthy way to start the day.
- Banana Popsicles are a huge hit in the summer.
If you love making quick bread, here are a few other recipes to try:
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini is vegan and allergy-friendly.
- Apple Cinnamon Bread is always and hit. The aroma as it bakes is so incredible.
- Perfect or brunch or dessert, Blueberry Upside Down Quick Bread is so pretty on the plate.
What is YOUR favourite way to use bananas?
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Simple Basic Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed banana (2 medium ripe bananas)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare a 9-inch loaf pan and set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients (except the sugar) in a small bowl, and mix with a whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl, mash the ripe bananas (enough to produce 1 cup) and set aside.
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. (I used a hand held mixer. Feel free to just use a spoon like the old-fashioned method).
- Combine the eggs one at a time. Mix well.
- Add in the mashed banana. Mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.
- Scrape batter into a prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes until done. Bread should be nice and brown. Use a cake tester to make sure it is done in the middle.
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.
- Once cool (or until you can't wait anymore) slice and ENJOY!
Nutrition Information
Patricia Bozeman
This is perfect! My toddler is in that phase where he likes one food one day and doesn’t the next. So many a banana has gone brown on our counter. So of course we make banana bread! Thanks for the freezing tip! It’s something I never thought of. Although we don’t have an issue eating a whole loaf, LOL!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
When I say I made banana bread…my grandson always says “Please save some for me gramma”. I make a special loaf just for him!! Freezing it works so well.
Dana Sandonato
Sometimes there’s just no need for frills. Banana bread is so good in its most basic form. My Mom always made it like this and the entire loaf would be devoured within a day! Thanks for reminding us that simple is sometimes best 🙂
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
It is true…simple is best. And YES….it is gone in a flash here too.
Debra
Exactly what I like at night with a cup of tea. I love a good old fashioned recipe like this. Great idea to slice and freeze so I can just take the amount I need out of the freezer. Thank you.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I know, the freezer part is awesome. We devour this in our house.
Jenni LeBaron
I love a classic banana bread and this one hits all the marks for me. I always feel like I have an extra two bananas going brown in my fruit bowl so this recipe is going to come in super handy for those! Can’t wait to eat a slice of this straight out of the oven with butter!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Sometimes I buy bananas just to make this bread!! It is so good toasted for breakfast…topped with butter.
Veena Azmanov
Easy, quick, delicious, moist and yum. Best breakfast option too.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I love this toasted for breakfast. In fact, I need to make some this weekend.
Jacqueline Debono
I love this simple banana bread recipe! I made it recently and it was a great success! My hubby keeps asking me to make it again!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I know!! The simple recipes are the best most times. So glad you like it.
Chef Markus Mueller
Yummy! I make a point to try a new banana bread recipe every week. My daughter literally lives of the stuff haha! Thanks for sharing, i’ll be trying yours this week!
Homemade & Yummy
You are welcome. I have a slice out of the freeze for my breakfast today.
lauren
A great go to banana bread recipe! This is perfect for a sweet snack or to warm up in the morning for breakfast. I love making banana bread with my daughter and she loves to eat it!
Homemade & Yummy
Having a slice for breakfast right now. ENJOY!
Julie
That banana bread looks perfect! Everyone needs a perfect simple banana bread recipe – although I agree with your husband, I like mine with a handful of chocolate chips! 😉
Homemade & Yummy
My daughter does too, but sometimes we just need to let the banana flavour be the star of the show.
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli
I just love simple delicious recipes like this! It is the kind of sweet I would like to have around in the house and eat at different times of the day!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes this is great for ALL times of the day.
Sharon
I love how simple this recipe is. Perfect use of bananas that are ripe and great for snacks and breakfast.
Homemade & Yummy
Simple perfection at it’s best for sure.
Kelly Anthony
You are SO right! Banana bread NEVER goes out of style 🙂 Going to make over spring break. Can’t wait!
Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…we sure love this simple recipe.
Jenni LeBaron
I love that this is a true classic simple banana bread recipe because that’s exactly what I like best. One of my favorite treats my mom would make growing up was banana bread and this makes we want to make a batch immediately.
Homemade & Yummy
Nothing better than a slice of banana bread and butter.
Jennifer
This banana bread is sooo good!!!!! I just made this for the weekend!
Homemade & Yummy
So glad you like the recipe…we do too.
Tammy
This is so easy to make and I love it! It’s been quite a while since I’ve treated myself to banana bread…yours looks so moist and irresistible! 😀
Homemade & Yummy
I made 2 loaves yesterday. It is so delicious.