Who doesn’t love homemade banana bread fresh from the oven?

This super moist and aromatic classic banana bread loaf is made even more delicious with the addition of nuts! This award-winning recipe has a bit of a crunch! This is the ultimate in banana bread recipes, definitely a winner in the recipe box!

Simple Banana Bread with loaf, slices, walnuts and butter in the back

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Best Ever Banana Bread

We’ll let you in on a little secret! This recipe has been in the family of one of my closest friends and we think it’s the best banana bread recipe in the world!

This is a quick, one-bowl-wonder! We also love it because it’s perfect for making little mini loaves for bake sales or grab-and-go snacks! And it’s so tasty, it can even be made into banana bread cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting! Serve hot from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some caramel sauce! Take a loaf of banana pecan bread to a friend or neighbor, but keep the recipe to yourself!

loaf of Simple Banana Bread

Ingredients for Banana Bread

Basic ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, butter, baking soda and powder, and of course, perfectly mashed bananas!

FLOUR

Banana bread can be made with all purpose, whole wheat, or spelt flour. Add in some flax meal or wheat germ for an extra boost of nutrition!

SWEETENER

The sugar can be switched out for applesauce or honey. Brown sugar can be substituted for the white for a darker looking loaf and a deeper more caramelly flavor. Or go for monkfruit, coconut sweetener, raw sugar, or stevia. It’s hard to go wrong with banana bread, just be sure to adjust the measurements according to the package directions (on the sweetener).

OTHER MIX-IN IDEAS

For a more decadent loaf, try adding toasted coconut, chocolate chips, dried cranberries or chopped date, and walnuts or pecans.

PRO TIP: Gently toasting nuts before adding them to any recipe keeps them extra crunchy and really brings out their flavor!

Simple Banana Bread sliced with a knife and butter

How Ripe Should Bananas Be for Banana Bread?

The ultimate banana bread is made with super ripe bananas. Look for dark brown spots on the peel and they should feel squishy in your hand. To speed up ripening bananas, poke holes all over the outside of the bananas with a fork and wrap them in a paper towel. Microwave on high for thirty seconds at a time, until the bananas are as soft as you like.

PRO TIP: If overripe bananas are sitting on the kitchen counter, don’t toss them out! Just peel and freeze in a zippered bag for the next time it’s baking day! 

sliced Simple Banana Bread with walnuts

How to Make Homemade Banana Bread

This recipe is super easy and quick to make. If I happen to notice ripe bananas on the counter, I can have this into the oven in about 15 minutes!

  1. Preheat oven and prepare pans.
  2. Cream wet ingredients with sugar. Add mashed bananas and mix thoroughly.
  3. Blend dry ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently fold in nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate chips. Be careful not to overmix or the bread will be too dense.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool banana bread on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Simple Banana Bread sliced on a plate with a butter knife and loaf in the background

How to Keep Banana Bread Moist and Fresh

Banana bread will stay fresh and moist at room temperature as long as it is in a sealed container or a zippered bag. Place a slice of regular bread in with the banana bread to keep condensation from forming in the container. Banana bread should keep about 4 days.

To freeze banana bread, wrap it in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, write the date on the outside and it should keep its flavor in the freezer for at least one month.

PRO TIP: Freeze individual slices in plastic wrap for a quick grab-and-go snack straight from the freezer! When it comes time for lunch, the slice will be thawed and ready to go. 

Simple Banana Bread with loaf , slices , walnuts and butter in the back
5 from 9 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Simple Banana Bread

This homemade Banana Bread is made from scratch. It's moist & flavorful, perfect for an afternoon or late-night snack!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Author Candace

Ingredients  

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups mashed banana
  • 1 ⅔ cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup nuts chopped, or chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom (only) of a 9-inch loaf pan.
  • In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until creamy.
  • Add bananas and mix thoroughly.
  • Stir in flour. Beat for 20-30 seconds with a beater or 2 minutes by hand, until just mixed through
  • Fold in remaining ingredients except nuts. Next fold in nuts.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until baked through. A wooden toothpick should come out clean (or with baked crumbs on it). Cool for about 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing from the pan and cooling completely.

Notes

For a delicious change of flavor, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon along with the flour.
If using an 8-inch loaf pan, bake for 1 ¼ hours.
5 from 9 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 177 | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.

Course Bread, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American

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About the author

I am a wife, mother of two, and professional accountant. I love fantastic food, and it is so often the center of our lives, from everyday dinner, to family gatherings, and special evenings at fabulous restaurants. I have always loved cooking and baking, with my mom and grandma, and now, with my daughter and son. I love trying new recipes while enjoying my favorites too. I’m so happy to share them with you.
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  1. Hi! Question. I want to try using honey as a sub for sugar in the banana bread rec, how do I measure? 1 cup butter to ?? how much honey?Thanks

    1. I’d try about 1/2 cup up to 2/3 cup of honey, depending on how sweet you like it Judy. The texture may change a little, but it’ll still be delicious!