Homemade Banana Bread

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My Homemade Banana Bread is made with just 5 simple ingredients most of you will have in your stores at home. It is baked and ready to eat in less than an hour start to finish. I don’t think there is a better way to use up those over-ripe bananas in our fruit bowls.

Homemade Banana Bread

My boys have voted this Easy Banana Bread recipe their favorite, they have declared it to be the absolute BEST!

With just 5 ingredients, this recipe is SO EASY to make and assemble in about 5 minutes, no mixer required. Then you just let it bake in a hot oven for about 45 minutes.

I hate to see anything going to waste and this is the best recipe for those over-ripe bananas in your fruit bowls at home. In fact, the darker the banana, the sweeter the bread.

This is a very moist bread as it’s loaded with bananas. If you want added crunch, you can add some chopped nuts like peanuts, walnuts or pecans. We omitted these due to allergies.

How to make Easy Homemade Banana Bread:

• Place the dry ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir until just combined.
• Combine the wet ingredients in a separate medium sized mixing bowl and whisk until just combined.
• Add the dry ingredients into wet ingredients bowl and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.
• Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. This will help prevent over browning on bottom and make it easier to remove from the pan after baking.
• Bake until golden on top, and test to ensure it’s cooked through with a baking test stick.
• Be sure not to overmix the bread batter or it’ll be dense and chewy instead of a soft and moist!

Easy Banana Bread ingredients:

• BANANAS: I use 3-4 overripe bananas to make this bread sweet, moist, and deliciously full of banana flavor. 
• SUGAR: I prefer to use granulated white sugar in my banana bread recipes. However, you can use brown sugar if you prefer. Brown sugar will result in an almost caramel-like sweetness. 
• FLOUR: I use self rising flour in most recipes. I’m from the South, and my granny used self rising flour, so it’s what I learned to use. However, you can also use all purpose flour too, just add in some salt and baking powder, those measurements are also listed on the recipe card.
• BUTTER: You can use either salted or unsalted butter, both will work in this recipe.
• EGGS: 2 eggs are beaten and added to the bread batter.

How ripe should the bananas be?

You want your bananas to be ripe with many black spots, this means they’re soft and full of sugar.  The darker the banana the sweeter the bread. You can peel them, slice them, or freeze them in ziplock bags to make banana bread at a later date.

A nice overly ripe banana affects both the flavor and texture of the bread. Overly ripe bananas are sweeter and they also provide more moisture to the bread. You want the bananas to be speckled and soft, almost mushy.

How to ripen bananas quickly?

To ripen bananas in a day or two, just place them in a paper bag and seal it.

To ripen immediately, for use the same day, bake the 300°F for 15-20 minutes with the skin on. Let them cool to room temperature before preparing the recipe.

What size baking pan should I use?

I prefer to bake bread in traditional loaf pans, though you can change things up to make different quantities of bread, to cook in different times, or just to use a pan you have on hand.

Here are some suggested alternatives and their rough cooking times, although as always you want to be aware of what altitude, humidity level, and oven type you are using, so you can adjust accordingly. Always bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Loaf Pan – Bake for about 45 minutes.

8×8 Square Pan – Bake for about 35 minutes.

9×9 Square Pan – Bake for 20 minutes.

Muffin pan – Divide batter between 12 greased muffin cups, adjust bake time to about 15 minutes.

FAQs

Can I make ahead Easy Banana Bread?

Homemade banana bread tastes amazing fresh from the oven while it’s still hot. If you can resist though, it’s even more irresistible the next day! The banana flavor just improves over time, and it’s divine. Consider making two loaves. One for same day consumption and another to enjoy the next day!

How to store leftover Banana Bread?

Let’s be honest, there is rarely leftover banana bread in my home. If you’re disciplined enough to save some for later, you can store the bread in an airtight container for 2-3 days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Banana bread is best served at room temperature or even warmed up before serving with a dab of butter on top!

Can you freeze Banana Bread?

Yes, banana bread can be frozen.  Before freezing, consider if you’ll need an entire loaf or slices to serve at a later time. You can freeze either way, but if you aren’t sure, I suggest slicing and freezing individual slices so you can just remove the amount you need at a later date. 

Before freezing, allow the banana bread to cool to room temperature. If freezing slices, place them on flat on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Remove, then place in freezer storage bags all together. Freeze for up to 3 months – be sure to label your freezer bag!

How to thaw frozen banana bread?

To thaw a slice quickly, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. If serving later in the day, such as in a lunch box, just add it to the lunch box frozen, it’ll defrost in plenty of time! 

Don’t miss these additional delicious Bread Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Cinnamon Swirl Bread
• Blueberry Breakfast Bread
• Homemade Pumpkin Bread
• Homemade Cornbread
• Strawberry Bread