Classic Banana Bread
A moist, tender, deeply banana-flavored loaf with a golden crackly top, made in one bowl with melted butter and a touch of brown sugar and sour cream for richness. No mixer needed.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Wait
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 30 min
- Makes
- 1 loaf (10 slices)
Steps
Before you start
- Use bananas with peels that are heavily speckled or mostly brown and that feel soft. Green-tinged bananas make a bland, drier loaf.
- Take the eggs and sour cream out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they blend smoothly into the butter.
- Melt the butter and let it cool for about 10 minutes. It should be warm, not hot, or it will scramble the eggs.
- Plan on about 2½ hours from start to finish. Most of that is baking and cooling, and slicing too early gives a gummy crumb.
Heat oven, prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan thoroughly with the 1 tablespoon softened butter.
- For easy removal, line the pan with a strip of parchment that overhangs the two long sides, then grease the parchment too.
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Ready when: Every surface of the pan is lightly glossy with butter, with no dry spots.
Tip: Use a metal pan. Glass and dark pans bake faster and can over-brown the crust before the center sets.
Mash the bananas
- In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth with a few small lumps remaining.
- You should have about 1½ cups (340 g).
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Ready when: The mash is soft and spreadable with only pea-sized lumps.
Tip: If your bananas are frozen, thaw them fully and use all of the liquid they release. It adds flavor.
Build the wet mixture
- Pour the cooled melted butter into the mashed bananas and whisk to combine.
- Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Whisk for about 1 minute until the mixture is uniform and slightly glossy, with no streaks of egg or sour cream.
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Ready when: The batter looks smooth and evenly tan, with no visible egg or sour cream streaks.
Tip: If the butter is still hot, wait a few more minutes. Hot butter can partly cook the eggs.
Whisk the dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) for 30 seconds so the baking soda is evenly distributed with no clumps.
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Ready when: The mixture is a uniform color with no visible lumps of baking soda.
Fold batter together
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold gently, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, just until no dry flour streaks remain, about 15 to 20 strokes.
- Fold in the chopped nuts (if using) in the last 3 or 4 strokes.
- The batter will be thick and lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible and the batter is thick, like a heavy muffin batter.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and gives a tough, rubbery loaf with tunnels.
Fill the pan
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly into the corners with the spatula.
- Tap the pan on the counter twice to release large air bubbles.
- Level the top lightly.
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Ready when: The batter fills the pan about two-thirds full with a fairly level surface.
Tip: For a bakery-style look, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of extra sugar over the top before baking. This is optional and not part of the ingredients.
Bake the loafOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the pan on the center rack of the 350°F (175°C) oven.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes.
- If the top is deep brown by the 40-minute mark, loosely tent the loaf with foil.
- The loaf is done when the top is deep golden and domed with a split down the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs.
- An instant-read thermometer in the center should read 205–210°F (96–99°C).
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Ready when: Toothpick comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, and the center reads 205–210°F (96–99°C).
Tip: Don't open the oven door before 45 minutes. A draft can make the center sink. If the toothpick shows wet batter, bake 5 more minutes and check again.
Rest in the pan
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the loaf rest for 10 minutes.
- This lets the structure firm up so it won't break when removed.
- Run a thin knife around the edges, then lift the loaf out using the parchment overhang.
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Ready when: The loaf pulls away from the sides slightly and lifts out in one piece.
Cool completely
- Transfer the loaf to the wire rack, right side up, and cool for at least 1 hour, until the bottom feels completely room temperature to the touch.
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Ready when: The bottom of the loaf feels neutral, not warm, when you touch it.
Tip: Slicing while hot compresses the crumb and makes it seem underbaked. Cooling fixes this.
Slice and serve
- Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut the loaf into 10 slices about ¾ inch (2 cm) thick.
- Serve plain, or toasted with butter.
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Ready when: Slices hold together with a moist, tender crumb and neat edges.
Good to know
Tips
- Weigh the flour if you can. Scooping straight from the bag can add up to 25% more flour and gives a dry, dense loaf.
- Ripen bananas quickly by baking unpeeled on a lined sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 15 to 20 minutes until the peels are black, then cool before mashing.
- Ovens vary, so start checking at 55 minutes. A deep golden crust with a split down the center is normal and not a sign of underbaking.
- Freeze overripe bananas, peeled, in a bag. Thaw and use them with their liquid whenever you want a loaf.
Make ahead
"Bake the loaf up to 2 days ahead. The flavor and moisture improve overnight when it's wrapped airtight once fully cool. You can also mash the bananas and refrigerate them in a covered container for up to 1 day before baking."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature: wrap tightly or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerator: up to 7 days, though it may dry slightly, so bring to room temperature or warm before eating. Freezer: wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours (slices: 30 minutes). To reheat, warm slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or toast them."
Substitutions
- sour cream or plain whole-milk yogurt → plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk. Use the same amount. Buttermilk gives a slightly thinner batter and a bit softer crumb.
- walnuts or pecans → semisweet chocolate chips. Use ½ cup (85 g). Toss with 1 teaspoon of the flour first so they don't sink.
- light brown sugar → granulated sugar. Use ¼ cup (50 g). The loaf will be slightly less moist and caramel-like.
- unsalted butter → neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. Use ⅓ cup (80 ml). The crumb will be a little more moist but with less buttery flavor.
