Description
This easy and classic banana bread recipe delivers incredibly moist and flavorful results using simple pantry staples. Perfect for breakfast, snacks, or dessert, this recipe combines ripe bananas with a buttery, tender crumb for a homemade treat you won't want to miss.
Ingredients
Banana Bread Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-4 medium bananas (or 2 large bananas), mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two 8x4-inch bread pans with parchment paper or grease the pans well with butter or baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mash Bananas: In a medium bowl, mash the bananas using a fork until well mashed but still slightly chunky for texture. Set this bowl aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until well incorporated and smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until everything is just combined and no large pockets of dry ingredients remain.
- Incorporate Bananas and Vanilla: Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract, mixing until the bananas are fully incorporated into the batter evenly.
- Divide and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35-40 minutes, until the tops are puffed, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Serve your banana bread warm, at room temperature, or cold. For extra indulgence, spread a bit of butter on each slice before eating.
Notes
- You can use one 9x5 inch loaf pan instead of two smaller pans. Bake it at 350°F for 35 minutes, then lower the heat to 325°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- If the top of the banana bread browns too quickly, tent it loosely with a piece of non-stick foil to prevent over-browning while the center continues to bake.
