Sour Cream Banana Bread {One-Bowl!}
This one-bowl sour cream banana bread recipe is amazingly popular for good reason! Super moist and fluffy, it is crazy delicious and so easy to make!
There are a lot of divisions in the world when it comes to banana bread. First and foremost, I would say, is The Great Nut Debate.
Do we dare talk about this here?
Dark or Light Banana Bread?
Do you prefer your banana bread dark and speckly or if you are a fan of golden, light-colored banana bread?
I think the darker crumbed banana bread (like in today’s sour cream banana bread post) is generally thought to be a bit more traditional. Those speckles are a sign of great banana bread, right?
But if you’ve never tried a buttery, light, golden banana bread loaf, you might be missing out (my favorite version is here).
What Causes the Speckles in Banana Bread?
I’ve done a lot of reading and testing (I’m telling you, NERD, and proud of it) to figure out why some banana bread loaves have a light-colored crumb and other recipes produce the dark speckles like you see in these pictures.
One likely reason? Baking soda.
Banana bread recipes that have a larger amount of baking soda usually have a darker crumb. This sour cream banana bread has a full teaspoon of baking soda…and it clearly results in darker speckles.
This much lighter buttermilk banana bread only has 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
Classic Sour Cream Banana Bread
For a classic, traditional, perfect banana bread recipe, you can’t go wrong with this sour cream banana bread.
If you take a quick glance through the comments, you’ll easily see that many, many, many of you have fallen in love with this banana bread over the years. This recipe has over 500 5-star reviews!
No surprise! It is so easy – one bowl! So delicious – supremely moist and tender!
It really is one of the best banana bread recipes out there.
Sour Cream Banana Bread FAQs
Many readers over the years have done just that. They’ve reported back with good results. The recipe will yield about 17-20 muffins (bake them at the same temp in the recipe and check them around 17-18 minutes).
Buttermilk can be used in place of the sour cream (the batter will be thinner, but that’s ok). Subbing in dairy milk or non-dairy milk for the sour cream may affect the texture and overall end result of the bread because the recipe needs the acidity of the sour cream (or buttermilk) to turn out correctly.
Yes, that works great! Toss them in with the flour (just remember not to over mix!).
Sour Cream Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar (see note to reduce the sugar)
- ½ cup oil (see note)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (227 g) mashed ripe bananas, about 3 ripe bananas
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup (213 g) all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 9X5-inch loaf pan (or several mini loaf pans).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla; blend well.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
- Cool for five minutes in the pan. Gently turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Store covered at room temperature (the bread also freezes great).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Leigh Anne at Your Homebased Mom
Recipe originally posted June 2009; updated with new pictures, recipe notes, and commentary.
459 Comments on “Sour Cream Banana Bread {One-Bowl!}”
Great recipe for banana bread..will make again!
The best banana bread ever!! I coat my pans with cinnamon n sugar n top bread with it also and comes out with a crunchy outer n very moist middle!! I always loved my grandma’s n my mother in laws but was way to dense and dry, god rest their souls. But this is heavenly!! Ty
So good! Very moist and flavorful!! My go to recipe!! I currently have loaves 3 & 4 in the oven right now. What else do you do during a snowstorm?!?!
These are so moist and yummy; I used melted butter instead of the oil.
After trying many banana bread recipes this is the best I’ve ever made and the only one I will ever make. I add mini chocolate chips to it because I just can’t make it without them. Thank you Mel for the perfect banana bread.
Only use this recipe, this recipe makes four mini loaves which is more convenient for my wife and I since I am type two diabetic. They are even better out of the freezer, the best I have tasted. For the mini loaves its 30 minutes and the secret is don’t overbake these loaves weather you bake one loaf or four minis. One more thing don’t buy cheap mini pans you will waste your money, facts are facts and you can’t get your money back
Use this recipe exclusively! My trick? I use a mix of cake and bread flour.
Fabulous! This is the only recipe (out of many that I have tried) that I could substitute gluten free flour with and it still turns out AMAZING! It’s so easy to make to! For those with celiac in their family, I used Bob Red Mills GF flour instead of regular flour and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Thanks Mel, for making such a wonderful banana bread recipe!
Best banana bread recipe I have ever made!! The only thing I added was some cinnamon.
This is my go to favorite banana bread recipe. I made it today, substituting whole milk vanilla bean yogurt for the sour cream. It’s just as amazing! I always add 1/2 teaspoon of either cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, as a personal preference.
From one Mel to another, thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe.
How can we find out how many calories are in a loaf ?
You can use an online nutritional calculator – I currently don’t calculate nutritional info for my recipes, but I’m planning on adding it to all the recipes this summer.
We absolutely love this recipe our new family fav and I make it for gifts and everyone wants the recipe! Been using it for a few years!
I love this receipe. The only change I made is adding 1 cup slightly drained crushed pineapple. Slight more flowed and pinch more of baking soda. Ummm
Absolutely delicious. A, new to your blog and am slowly making my way through a few of your recipes and they are all great!
I subbed yoghurt for sour cream, made a double batch and turned half into muffins (in oven for approx 15 mins) and the other half into a loaf (cooked 50mins). All were delicious.
Would love if you included nutritional information. I worked out based on my using less sugar, butter instead of oil, and yoghurt instead of sour cream (it’s just what I had) it was 150cals per serve based on the recipe yielding 12 muffins and 12 pieces of banana bread for me. Thank you again!
I have an abundance of cake flour. Could I use it? What adjustments should I make to the recipe as written? Thank you.
I haven’t tried with cake flour, but it’s definitely worth experimenting! I’d use the same amount as all-purpose flour and see how it goes.
This was good, but I feel its too much oil. It tasted greasy.
Easy recipe, no creaming of ingredients. Moist. Used melted butter, added 1/2 teaspoon banana extract. Hubby says don’t change a thing not even bake time. He reluctantly shared a piece with one of his workmates who had never tasted banana bread who said wow this is wonderful, Our housemate asked me how much I would charge to make one just for him. Both exclaimed it is better than Starbucks. Obviously a winner.
This bread came out AMAZING!!!!!! I used butter in stead of oil. And also added a crumb topping. This is a very moist bread. I am writing the recipe down in my notebook with only FAVORITE, THE BEST recipes ever!
This is the only way I’ll eat bananas, lol! My family has loved it for years, I’ve made it for every work and family function and have always won the award for best food ever!! Thanks Mel.
Questions: Would I need to double the ingredients if I wanted to baek in a bundt pan??
Also, how long would I need it to bake if using said bundt pan?
I haven’t baked it in a bundt pan, so I’m not entirely sure, but yes, I’d probably double and then bake for about 45-55 minutes
I can’t remember if I already left a comment but this is a family favorite! I have made the original as well as with the numerous variations you’ve provided, and it’s still a winner. I make muffins with it because it’s easier for us (18-min for anyone else interested). This also works well with Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour as well as Better Batter. You can’t tell the difference. Thanks again for another great recipe, Mel!
I was scanning the comments for this exact info! Does it work GF and how does the recipe do in muffin form. Thanks!
I tried this sour cream banana bread….OMG!!! It’s the BEST banana bread I’ve tasted. It’s moist, sweet and really good. I will definitely make it again. I’m going to try the other variations to see how they will come out, I’m sure they will be good as well. Thank you soo much for this recipe.
The banana bread is very good ! What do you think of making two smaller loaves — the one was not done in the middle so I had to cover the top — I feel like the outside was too done 🙂 I would say it took an additional 10-20 minutes 🙂
Yes, you can definitely split the batter and make smaller loaves.
Hi Mel, what kind of oil do you use please?
I usually use canola or avocado oil.
I’ve been looking (and trying) various banana bread recipes. I don’t make it often but could never find a good enough recipe…until NOW! I make this whenever we have “leftover” bananas (sometimes I even plan on the leftover bananas)
I did do a couple of changes: I use 3/4 C sugar; I also use 1/4 c applesauce & 1/4 oil.
The other nice thing about this that I have noticed is this recipe is somewhat forgiving. I never measure vanilla–I just add a good splash. I roughly measure the sour cream. I usually use 3 large or 4 smaller bananas so sometimes I need to adjust the sour cream more or less to accommodate as to not have too much moisture.
I like to make this in 4 small mini loaves because I do one with nuts, one (sometimes two) with chocolate chips (I just sprinkle the nuts or chips in the pan and lightly mix in) and I leave the other one (or two) plain. It also makes it easy to give a loaf to someone.
I haven’t tried it yet but plan to try vanilla yogurt (instead of sour cream) .
I LOVE this recipe….fast and easy to whip up and all in ONE BOWL!
What kind of chocolate chips do you use? Milk or semi sweet?
this is the only recipe that actually worked for me! i added fresh walnuts to the batter- came out moist and terrific!
The best banana bread recipe I’ve ever made! Totally worth eating.
Came out great
Used whole wheat flour and 1/4 applesauce and 1/4 oil
Hi I am KT and I am an addict of Mels recipes……okay now that is over……I have tried for MULTIPLE years to bake a great banana bread. I have tried MANY recipes that have been touted as BEST, ONE AND ONLY, etc. This bread beats them all! I cannot believe it has taken me this LONG to find a GO-TO recipe for a great banana bread! Additionally, I have to say that your recommended USA pans are the BOMB! I ordered them at the start of COVID and they were back-ordered and never delivered! I recently received an order of them and the muffin tins and I have to agree—THEY ARE THE BOMB! I will be tossing all of the dark pans I own and now will a champion for these as well! Mel you are amazing and so AWESOME for sharing all of your experience and knowledge with your following!
This makes me so happy! First that you have finally found The One when it comes to banana bread and 2) that you love those pans. They really are the best. Yay! You made my day! 🙂
Love this bread! So very tasty and moist…perfect! After reading notes I did make a few substitutions. Replaced 1/4 cup of the oil with unsweetened applesauce and 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for the white flour. As my bananas were very ripe I only used 3/4 cups of sugar. Walnuts added, of course! Maybe my favorite banana bread recipe
Love banana bread and we DO love nuts in our banana bread – how much would you suggest if adding nuts – 1/2 cup chopped?
Probably 1/2 to 1 cup.
Perfect everytime I make it, I’ve tried other ones and for one reason or another they just dont turn out . This one does and even my fussy son likes it.
Beautiful recipe, taste just like the ones you grab from good cafes! Ta
Ange
Loved it! Made yesterday! Very moist and so good! Used Applesauce with the oil and Walnuts!Baked in 9 by 13 inch pan 35 minutes.. Perfect! Used 5 medium bananas.
If I’m using butter instead of oil, would I use a half cup of butter
You can use the same amount of butter as oil.
Mel, I’m not much of a baker, and since my hubby and I are eating low carb, it’s been a long time since I’ve made something like this! But, I wanted to make a treat for my son who is home from college. It tastes DELICIOUS, but it came out flat. I doubled the recipe, using the standard 9×5 loaf pans, subbed plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, used half coconut oil and half applesauce. I weighed the flour (but now I wish I had weighed the bananas – I might have used a smidgen too much). Baked in convection oven on 330 for about 50 min. The bread is dense and not crumbly at all. Oh, I do believe I stirred the batter too much! I didn’t read that direction before stirring! Can that be the problem? I want to get this right for next time! Please diagnose, if you can 🙂 Sure appreciate all you do, Mel!
Hi Sheree – remind me, do you live at high altitude? That can have an impact on quick breads coming out flat and/or dense. Over mixing will also make a huge difference in the outcome!
I live in Mesa, AZ so no high altitude. I guess it was the over mixing. That seems more likely that a little too much banana, I think. I’ll definitely have to try again!
I’ve made this multiple times and will never find another recipe again! Amazing recipe! I added baking soda and a teaspoon of baking powder and it is so nice and fluffy!
Very easy and delicious especially with the orange added. …never would of thought banana and orange work so well together. Added cream cheese icing…omg loaf was gone same day…a must have
Orange? I can’t find the comment that talks about orange. Orange juice or zest?
Angie
It was delicious! So moist and flavourful! A real hit at our house!
Hello Mel. Is temp 350 for convection oven baking? So looking forward to trying this recipe!
Usually for convection, I set it 25 degrees lower than the recipe (so 325 degrees for this recipe)
Bicarbonate of soda or ‘baking soda’ is also a base which forms carbon dioxide when mixed with an acid (in the form of bananas / sour cream, etc.) so adding too much may lead to an unpleasant flavour. Adding too little may cause a low rise (not enough carbon dioxide gas forming).
Baking soda assists in creating the brown colour of the banana bread because of a certain reaction called the Maillard reaction aka the flavour reaction – which occurs for most food because it is between amino acids and reducing sugars. Since baking soda is a base, it increases the pH of the banana bread batter and this drives the Malliard reaction to create a more pronounces golden ‘darker’ colour.
Hope that helps!
Best banana bread I ever made ! It was moist and delicious .
We want to pour the batter into a 4-slot mini loaf pan (approx. 3 x 5 in. each) and make a bunch to deliver to friends. How high do you recommend filling each pan?
This is our favorite banana bread recipe!
Hi Amanda, I’d say fill them about 2/3 full.
This is the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted!! It’s going to be my go-to recipe forever more. Thank you so much!!
I made this last month and it was the best banana bread I have ever had.
This month I only have gluten free and whole wheat flour, do you have any thoughts on which one would work better in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it with gluten free flour but I have made it with whole wheat. It works pretty well! It’s slightly more dense but still yummy.
This has been my goto recipe for years. Only substitution is GLUTEN FREE flour! Perfect every time as a loaf and cupcakes! Thank you!!!
Perfect recipe!! Had to make another batch the same day after my family ate it all in a few hours. I cut the oil and sugar to nearly half and still it came out great!!
Thank you!!
I love banana bread and this recipe is my favorite so far! The bread came out so moist and delicious! I added some chocolate chips and walnuts and cut down the sugar and everyone loved it.
I have had a hard time with banana bread recipes since I live at 5,500 ft altitude. This turned out wonderfully and stayed nice and high. So good tasting!
I used 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar, maybe 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of banana extract (plus the vanilla), only had two bananas so to compensate I used an entire container of strawberry banana yogurt (instead of the sour cream). Other ingredients as listed. Baked for 65 minutes at 340 degrees. Man oh man!
Loaves were flat. No “hump”. More flour?
I had the same issue, tasted delicious but did not rise high like banana bread usually does…any advice?
What size pan did you use?
This is absolutely the BEST Banana Bread recipe ever. It’s my go-to!
Oh my Gooosshhhhh! I made this bread thinking it was going to be just like the others. Boy! was I wrong!!! This was the best banana bread I have ever tasted; believe me when I say I have tried a lot of banana bread recipes. I am just ecstatic that my search for a recipe that didn’t use butter and wasn’t desert dry was over!! I believe the sour cream is the secret to the moistness in this bread. The amount of bananas was very satisfying as well. I am one to want to cut the amount of sugar in recipes but the sweetness was just right. Instead of the other half of white flour, I replaced the other half of cup of flour with whole wheat flour which always gives recipe that secret that people love but cant seem to figure out what the goodness is. I rate recipes based on how long the food lasts in my house and yep!! its a 10!!
This recipe is wonderful. Very moist and flavorful! Thank you for it. I substituted the sour cream for plain greek yogurt and it turned out perfectly. 1 loaf and 4 small loaves
This is the best banana bread I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a lot of recipes. It always comes out perfectly.
I make muffins from this recipe and usually end up with 17.
I hate it when people tweak a recipe and then rate it highly, but I always add a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans and sometimes a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg. With or without the spices, it’s delicious!
Thank you, Mel!
This recipe has become a staple in my house and at my office. It is so good! I’ve fiddled with the recipe just a bit. I lowered the sugar to 2/3c and use Kerrygold melted butter in lieu of oil. Depending on who I’m making the loaf for, I’ll add a cup of toasted walnuts. I’ve had several people ask me for the recipe, so it’s definitely proven itself a winner!
I haven’t baked much since my daughter moved out two years ago. She was the baker. So thankful this turned out wonderful! Thank you for the perfect recipe. They produced a moist cake without being to dense.
Made this today and got to say it was wonderful . Easy to make and so moist with a great taste. Thanks for sharing .
Nut allergy in family. Do you think a handful of golden raisins would work well.
Sure!
Wow! Such a delicious banana bread! I used full day Greek yogurt as I had no sour cream. So good!
My family loves this banana bread! We usually like adding chocolate chips but the batter is not thick enough and they always end up on the bottom. Have you ever added baking cocoa to make a chocolate version?
I haven’t – sorry!
try coating your chocolate chips with a little flour (shaking them in a bowl is fine) before adding to the batter. it helps them stay afloat 🙂
Hi..I have been making this recipe for a while now and its loved by everyone! The thing is that I have recently moved to new place and cant seem to get my hands on sour cream,I have tried lots of BB recipes but this is the only one that hits the spot…so I was wondering if I cld try to substitute the sour cream with something else(greek yoghurt/buttermilk etc)…wld that alter the taste/texture etc..any advice/suggestion…Thanks
Greetings Mel~ As a new subscriber, I’m looking forward to making this recipe! I’m also looking forward to making the Buttermilk Banana Bread too. I like the idea sour cream is added to this. By right my baking trademark is adding mini chocolate chips to as many creations as possible! lol And next to that would be crushed pecans or walnuts as I love nuts too………. so based on what you share about the amount of baking soda determining the color of banana bread, what would happen if I did half teaspoon to this recipe?? Appreciate your insight!
Hi Julie – I think if you decrease the amount of baking soda in this recipe, it might affect how the bread rises in the oven (and the overall texture may not be as light and fluffy)
The sour cream banana was delicious! I have made it twice. The first time in one loaf and the second time in mini loaf pans. It turned out great both times. So yummy. Thanks!
This recipe for banana bread is the best one we have tried!
Could you sub pumpkin for the banana & add some spice? Has anyone tried this?
Everyone always enjoyed my previous banana bread recipe, but I was looking for something even better & a bit simpler to prepare. This is my new favorite! Everyone raved how delicious it was! I used yogurt instead of sour cream just because that’s what I had in fridge. Used 3/4 cup sugar, plus sprinkled some on top for a nice crunchy topping. and added some chopped walnuts & pecans.
So happy to see someone address the subject of dark/speckled versus light. I’ve been trying to figure this out for years. I’ve had a much harder time since I moved to a high altitude (20 years ago 🙂 ) achieving the dark/speckled outcome. I know the altitude affects the leavening – so the baking soda reason makes sense to me.
Looking forward to trying this recipe now!
Super good!! My three old who super stubborn about eating loves it!
Another winner! I made this with 100% hard white wheat, fresh ground, whisked and spooned and leveled into a 3-cup measure, which equaled 14.1 oz. (vs. the 15 oz. in the recipe), I used half applesauce for the oil, used the full amount of sugar (and doubled everything to make two loaves). Delicious, moist!, sweet and hearty. A great way to use up ripe bananas and sour cream I had on hand. Also, I liked that they didn’t have a strong ripe banana taste. Very nice treat. Thanks, Mel!
I made this today, used softened good quality margarine….buttermilk….added cinnamon and nutmeg. Wow! Amazing recipe base…..thank u so much for sharing. A definite keeper!
Great recipe! I had to cook my loaf with foil for the last 10 minutes, so that the top didn’t burn and I added another 5 minutes to the time in the oven. I added 1/2 c. of toasted chopped walnuts and 1/2 c. of raisins, and substituted 1/2 c. of flour for homemade oat flour. It gave the texture a little more bite 🙂
I just made this for the gazillionth time. Today I subbed butter for the oil and noticed the bread came out more golden…and fewer dark specks. I logged into your site to read comments to see if anyone else had noticed something similar. I didn’t find anything, but I DID read a whole bunch of “Best banana bread recipe ever!” comments.
My family LOVES this banana bread. Morbid thought…but reading the rave reviews made me realize that if anything happened to me, my family would miss me AND my banana bread. So, tonight, I decided to put a copy of this recipe in our fire safe…with all our important documents. I might be gone, but my (your!) banana bread, will live on!
I have been making this recipe since I found it over a year ago, and it is a showstopper and so simple too! I have become famous for my banana bread among all of my friends, and everyone looks forward to when I am making banana bread! This recipe is a gem, and I don’t know what I would do without it!! Thanks Mel!
Thanks, Gigi!
Delicious! Thanks for another great recipe.
I won my in-laws over with this recipe on a recent family trip! I want to make it to take to work, but think that this recipe as muffins would be easier to share with a crowd. How do you recommend baking them?
I’d probably bake them for 14-17 minutes in a muffin tin.
This recipe was moist and delicious! I couldn’t figure out why another recipe I was using was not moist. I think the oil and the sour cream made the difference with this one!
I just wanted to comment about the bananas in the list of ingredients. You listed 1 cup of mashed banana, then underneath that, you put 3 bananas. Three bananas makes more than 1 cup. I used 3 mashed bananas as I had in the past with another recipe. It made me pause, though. I would either eliminate the volume measurement and put just “3 bananas” or list the volume measurement and in parentheses, say about 3 or 4 bananas.
I will definitely make this recipe again! Thanks!
Made it! Absolutely delicious. Mahalos for the share!
I’ve been hooked on this recipe for the past few months. Easy to make and yummy to eat! Thanks!
Tried this recipe for the first time yesterday after previously sticking to some of your other banana bread recipes and WOW.. I think I have found a new favorite! The sour cream makes such a difference. Your blog never fails me and I am so appreciative of that.
Love this recipe, but every time I make it the center of my bread comes out raw, runny, or very doughy. Maybe because I use a glass loaf pan. If I cook it too long the outer layer crust so bad. May splitting into 2 loafs would help fix this issue…
The glass pan definitely makes a difference – I recommend reducing the oven temp by 25 degrees when using glass pans in baking so the baked goods bake more evenly.
That you, I will try this! Would I need to cook it about the same time or longer?
You’ll probably need a few extra minutes to account for the lower temp (but it should bake through better!)
This is the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted OR made. My 1 year old just ate an entire slice. He kept saying “yum yum” and was dancing. I have enjoyed making many of your recipes, but this may be one of your best (IMO)! I made it with Bob’s Red Mill cup for cup GF flour. The sub worked perfectly.
Thank you for sharing this absolutely delicious recipe, l have made quite a few banana bread recipes, this one is a keeper and the best.
This is one of those recipes that’s so good, I don’t want to tell others where to find the recipe so I can look like a great Baker.
I have made this 10+ times and it’s worked wonderfully each time. I’ve done full loves and mini. All are wonderful. I follow the recipe exactly, except I add chopped walnuts at the end. I’ve used coconut oil and vegetable oil. Both worked well. I never tried melted butter, but I always smear a little butter on the slice when I eat it.
This is a simple, moist, and delicious bread. I don’t foresee ever making banana nut bread using any other recipe. Thanks!
Do you have the nutrition facts and calories?
I don’t, sorry!
I just made this from some frozen (thawed) overripe bananas I’d been saving for smoothies, . I subbed melted butter for oil and used a little less than a cup of sugar. Threw in some chocolate chips for my kids. This was soooo good. A huge hit!
Forgot to give it 5 stars!!
We love this banana bread!!! Have made it several times and it’s a keeper. Today I added a cup of blueberries baked in 9×13 pan and drizzled powdered sugar glaze over it after coming out of oven. Fabulous! Thank you
Delicious banana bread. I made a gluten free version of this recipe by substituting Cup4Cup GF flour. I also used Splenda reducing to 3/4 cup. One more addition was 1/2 cup of Lily’s dark chocolate chips. The bread was a huge hit. Making more today at the request of my family. This is definitely a keeper recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Made this and it was great! I used the new Low Fodmap flour to reduce the Gluten (sensitivity) and used Natvia instead of Sugar, again, sensitivity. It STILL worked really well! So I now have a fully GF version & this version, depending on who’s eating it! Next option is to replace the egg for -you guessed it, allergy! We eat a lot of banana bread, because we always seem to have a few that have been left too long to eat..suspect it’s on purpose now! 🙂 I think next time I’ll use the muffin pan to prevent the longer cooking time needed in my old old dodgy oven.. But-yummo!! Thanks very much, love using sour cream in my cakes!
Best banana bread recipe ever! I’ve made my share of banana bread over the years… HANDS DOWN BeSat EVER! I added an extra banana bc I had it, so good and moist!!
I LOVE this simple recipe. I’ve made and shared with a few people. So easy and hassle free. Thanks Mel.
Very moist with a slightly crispy top, excellent flavor. Thanks for sharing this great recipe, it’s a keeper.
LOVE*LOVE*LOVE this recipe. It’s so easy. Your website is my go-to site. Always come here first and everything I’ve made from here is so yummy. I love that you have the weight measurements in your recipes, thank you!
That means so much to me; thank you, Geri!
My 10yr old made this last night and added chocolate chips holy crap it was soooooooo good. I added this recipe to our yum Arsenal
Do you have a good recipe for rhubarb cake or loaf and if yes can they be doubled.
Also will they work with Splenda because my hubby is a diabetic and I like to bake without sugar for him!
I’m afraid I don’t – sorry!
I made this with Splenda Rita! And Natvia/Stevia. Worked fine! It’s more difficult to substitute it for the brown sugar as that normally does a caramelisation thing, but I’ve had success with that too. I just had to be aware there would be less browning or caramelisation. Hope that helped? Sorry Mel, I use Splenda etc all the time, thought it might help! Not trying to over ride! 🙂
Made this using greek yoghurt. Changed the flour to gluten free self raising , used a square cake tin. Turned out light fluffy and moist.
We make this bans bread often and use spelt four, not the whitened type but full spelt, it adds a nutty taste and for some with wheat sensitivity (like my daughter) spelt can be tolerated. Please note spelt is not gluten free.
We love this warm with apple or prune butter!,,
********BEST MOST AMAZING BANANA BREAD*********!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!! This is my go to recipe forever. Yummy!
Although, I love my banana bread recipe, I have used for years, I had extra sour cream and over-ripe bananas. This is has an excellent flavor. Extremely moist, yet a slight crispy edge.
There are SO many banana bread recipes out there and through the years I have tried MANY and I have got to say this is my favorite. I can stop searching now. Thanks!!!
I made this into muffins because I didn’t want to wait an hour for breakfast. Made 16 muffins and baked for about 18 minutes. Each muffin had the chewy edge goodness and didn’t have to wait the full hour. Then froze what we didn’t eat. Yum!
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, but added nuts!
This will now be my go to recipe for banana bread.
Wow… I’ve been in a relationship with my boyfriend for over 6 years and oftentimes he has me make banana bread because it’s his number one faaaavorite (thanks to the local coffee shop). Anyways, out of like 100 recipes I’ve tried, he finally… found… one. This is our holy grail. This is literally a milestone in our relationship! I’ve finally found banana bread I can make that he LOVES! We’re going out to celebrate.
I have done a lot of trial-and-error recipes for banana bread, and I think this is the best one I’ve ever done. It is so moist and flavorful! I sifted my dry ingredients before mixing them in. I was wondering if that extra step really makes a difference, but I’ve found it helps me mix things more consistently and gives certain recipes a more airy texture. Othee variations I like are mixing in different nuts, chocolate chips, or mixing half of the batter with melted nutella and then marbling it into the bread.
I love using this recipe. As is it’s already great. I made a loaf today as is for my roommate with 1/2 cup sugar as recommended if you prefer it less sweet.
I also changed things up as I’m working on cutting certain things out of my diet. Such as decreasing sugar intake. Today I added a scoop of protein powder (vanilla flavored and only very mildly sweet), and I masterani decreased the added sugar to 1/8 cup. Honestly probably could cut out the added sugar entirely. I also added chopped pecans and chocolate chips. I put the batter in a mini muffin tin. As a between meal snack it’s fairly nurtrious but also feels indulgent with the added chocolate.
I loved be this recipe! I’ve tweaked it a bit by using yogurt instead of sour cream and added oatmeal soaked in whey liquid. I love the body the oatmeal adds to the bread.
I have 5 very very ripe (think brown) bananas, and a tub of sour cream in the fridge. I can’t wait to make a double batch of this banana bread tomorrow!! Nuts are a huge no, unless they’re ground to dust. Better yet, they’re peanuts, cashews or beer nuts! Then I’m all in! I was the kid that picked the nuts out of cookies or breads, or flat out wouldn’t eat them. Nuts, except those mentioned above, are just icky. 😉
Does this recipe only make one loaf?
Yes
Moist, fluffy, not too sweet, and delicious! Made it twice already, the family kept on asking for more!
Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
This was absolutely delicious, thank you Mel from another Mel! Only adjustment I made was to undercook it slightly as I like the gooey’ness you’re left with at the bottom of the cake.
OMGosh, best banana bread I have ever made! It makes a BIG loaf in the 9×5 pan.
No baking powder?
Was very delicious! So easy to make! Only one change, I used brown sugar instead of white because I was out of it. Still perfect. Thank you.
Wow! This Banana bread is phenomenal!
So moist, & full of flavour… one loaf is simply not enough. Instead of using a 1/2 cup of oil I used a 1/4 cup of room temperature butter, & 1/4 cup of veg oil. The search is over -this is The ONLY banana bread recipe I need in my life!
Thank you for sharing.
I made this recipe and followed it to the letter. While it tasted good, it was not baked inside. Don’t know why. I baked it 10 minutes longer than the recipe calls for. I will give it another try another time.
Tried your awesome recipe today. It is indeed the best. I had baked 3 different recipes and I like this!
I used coconut oil…the cake turned out aromatic and light! This cake goes well with a cup of hot cocoa!
Thank you for sharing!
Greetings from Singapore!
What temperature & how long in convection oven?
Probably 325 degrees convection and I’d start checking after 45-50 minutes. Each oven is different so that’s just a guideline.
Hello my toddler will no longer eat any other banana bread besides this recipe! It’s like he knows this is the golden standard of all banana breads on the interent. Thank you kindly for making my banana bread connoisseur happy
This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it out! Just wondering, which type of oil is best to use? Sorry, the answer is probably obvious to most, but I’m not much of a baker. Thank you!
Any flavorless oil would do; canola, vegetable, even coconut.
Hi Robin – I usually use a neutral oil like canola, vegetable or avocado. Hope that helps!
Love this I added mini chocolate chips to mine came out great it’s a keeper!!!
I love to use my mini loaf pan, instead of full size loaf. Any ideas on cook time for that? I’m going to start at 25 minutes…
Yeah, I’d probably start checking around 25 minutes.
How many mini loads did it make for you?
I doubled the recipe and filled seven standard size mini loaf pans. I was afraid of overfilling so I did seven, but I think I could have done 6 without them spilling over in the oven. I baked for 30-ish minutes. But I would watch them!
Great recipe! My favorite is Mel’s buttermilk banana bread, but this is a close second!
Amazing bread. I was intrigued by your note about using butter and applesauce. I was out of applesauce, so I peeled and chopped a few apples and simmered them with a few tablespoons of water until they fell apart (quick applesauce!). I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 homemade applesauce instead of oil as you suggested. I also subbed 1/3 of the flour with white whole wheat flour. I also followed your suggestion of 3/4 cup sugar per loaf (I used 1/2 cup white and 1/4 brown per loaf). Finally… I doubled the recipe per your suggestion. I didn’t initially plan to make 2 loaves, but it was so easy to double it that I did. So thanks for suggesting it. This is the best banana bread we’ve ever had. Thank you!!!
Love this recipe! I’ve adapted it to be gluten-free on my blog, and it doubles so well!
http://www.thebaconharvest.com/cafe-style-banana-bread-gluten-free-family-update/
This was the best banana bread I have ever made! It was a big hit and now my absolute favorite!
Just made two loafs one with walnuts and one with mini chocolate chips. Omg soooooo good came out perfect. Used darker pans and baked at 325 for a little longer. Used 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 oil and 3/4 cup sugar. My new to go to banana bread. Thanks for the great recipe.
The best banana bread I’ve ever had and I’ve had ALOT of the years!! Amazing Mel, so happy I found you!!! I’ve found my love of baking again!!!
This recipe,sounds amazing and was recommended by a friend. I have tried your recipe 3x and the cook time exceeds 60 min. Usually I have to add 10-20 min. I do add some walnuts and chocolate chips and should try it without. But would those,ingredients impact cook time so much? Thank you!
The ingredients probably wouldn’t affect cook time, but elevation, exact oven temperature, and type of pan could affect it.
I made a loaf today and added about a teaspoon of orange zest, it is delicious. Definitely a keeper.
Orange zest sounds good From the reviews, I want to try this recipe. Think I’ll add the zest to it
The only banana bread recipe I use, n now my daughter also uses it! N we love it!! I sprinkle my pans with a cinnamon sugar mixture n top of bread also, then bake, it makes an awesome outer crust.
It is so good. I will make it again. I did half oil and half unsweetened applesauce. My husband said it could use some cinnamon.
I was looking for a way to use up some sour cream (and the 1000 bananas in my freezer) and came upon this recipe. Made it last night and it was wonderful! The best part is with no butter to melt, bring to room temp, or cream – coupled with the one-bowl technique – this was a super-easy recipe to throw together on a weeknight. I plan to make another loaf tonight! Thanks so much for sharing.
In 11 years of marriage my husband has never liked, let alone requested, banana bread until this recipe. And here I am this morning, making the 3rd batch this month at his request. Thank you! You have never let me down, and even my husband is on a first name basis with you You really are the best!
That is awesome, Sydney! Thank you!
Yes, it does. Thank you, Mel. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂
Hi Mel,
I’m just re-reading the recipe and I’m wondering about the note about the 1/2 applesauce and butter. Does that mean that you use 1/4 cup of applesauce with 1/4 cup of butter or 1/2 cup butter alone? The last time I made this I used 1/2 cup butter and it was really good but not I’m not sure if that was the best thing to do. The bread was super moist but not necessarily in a bad way. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. Love you, love your site and appreciate all you do for us.
Hi Cindy – sorry for the confusion. Sometimes I use 1/2 cup melted butter…and then other time I use 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup melted butter. I’ve also used 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/4 cup oil. Does that help?
First, I’m a huge fan. Your site is my go to place when planning my menu for the week. Thank you for all the work it takes to put this together!!
SOOOO, I have never had good luck with sweet breads. they never seem to be done in the center. BUT they’re very well done on the outside. I’m thinking I may be filling my loaf pans too full. How full do you usually fill your pans? And any other tips for me? I LOVE banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc., and they make great gifts for friends but I’m always afraid to give them away. HELP!!
What type of pans are you using, Tiffany? Are they light colored aluminum or dark colored/nonstick pans? If they are dark colored pans, try reducing the oven temperature by 25 degrees. I usually fill the pans about 2/3 full.
I wanted to love his recipe but it turned out horrible. I made muffins instead of loaves and after 30 minutes they were brown but still uncooked inside, but back in and they got so brown never rose and will still uncooked when I cut them open and very mushy;(
Totally bummed and wasted all my ingredients and time … not sure what went wrong. Should have stuck to my old recipe.
There’s nothing wrong with the recipe; I made it last night and it was wonderful, and the 5 star ratings here attest to that. Sounds like there was some kind of error made on your part.
Operator error.
Same thing happened to me just now, but instead of muffin pans I baked it in a regular cake pan. I don’t know what went wrong
Check your oven temp- have a oven thermometer inside for accuracy. Also what kind of pan you used? Dark or shiny. That alters the baking temp by 25 degrees. I hope l.have helped.
Delicious & easy ! And I love that it uses canola oil instead of butter!
I usually double the recipe and then make 3 smaller loaves so I can give some away and have one or two in the freezer. It is always a hit !!! Thank you for sharing ! : )
How many points for this recipe for weight watchers?
Mel, you are my go-to place for recipes. I haven’t tried one I haven’t loved. I tripled this recipe and made 2 loaves and 12 muffins. The muffins turned out perfect when baked for 20 minutes. Thanks for your site.
Thank you so much, Danae!
The only banana bread recipe I need. Grandson & husband approved. So moist and really full of flavor.
This banana bread is THE BEST! You must make it! It’s so easy (one bowl, no mixer). It’s a great recipe for me to make with my 5 year old son. Truly the best I’ve ever made.
Recently I have tried 4 different banana bread, but will have to say that this was the best. I usually put nuts in, but left them out. It was so moist and delicious, that this will be the recipe I use from now on. No more searching for the Best, because I have found it.
Since I have found this recipe, it’s the only one I use. I always double it to make 2 loaves or a 12 cup bundt cake. I always cut the sugar in 1/2. The bananas are sweet enough. Sometimes I add chocolate chips to it, sometimes chopped pecans. Everyone LOVES ❤️ it. Thank you so much for posting this delicious, easy recipe
This is the best banana bread recipe by far. It comes out perfect every time. I had a cup of blueberries to my bread.
Wow! This turned out delicious! Soft and moist. I’ll be making this again soon. I recommend using a bit less sugar than listed.
I meant to give it 5 stars.. oops
Followed this recipe to a T and it’s perfect. Absolutely the BEST banana bread ever. So moist and dense. The bread is devour within a day! Thank you so much
This recipe looks AMAZING!!! I can’t wait to try it! Is there any way you can use gluten-free flour in this recipe and it still taste the same?
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure. But there may be others in the comments who have tried it.
This is a good bananna bread recipe. It is moist and that is what I was looking for. I did add some walnuts.
I added 1/2 cup blueberries and a tsp cinnamon. Amazing!
Just made this and added peanut butter chips. Yum!
Just made this today. It turned out great. After I greased the pan I sprinkled it with cinnamon instead of flour.
Excellent!!!!!!!
So… I am in the solid “Banana- bread-SHOULD-HAVE-nuts-in-it” camp, but my husband is adamant that it should not. Haha. As a result, I made it to his liking, without nuts. It is a wonderful banana bread recipe and did not last long at all! We ate it as a dessert with every single meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and as a snack throughout the day!! Addictive! Next time, I think I will add some chocolate chips (and maybe some nuts:-) )
Hi Mel, thank you for this recipe. This is the best banana bread I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot. I used coconut oil and all white whole wheat flour and it turned out incredibly delicious. Such a quick and easy recipe to get in the oven. Thank you!!
Any idea what carbs, calories in banana bread? Yes l made this l added pecans and pumpkin seeds to it. Looks delicious have not cut it yet to try it out.
I don’t have the nutrition facts. Sorry!
Mel I love this recipe and make it all the time. So so yummy! Thanks! Do you think there is way to make this in a bread machine???
I’m not sure, sorry!
Best banana bread I’ve tasted!
Made it without oil only applesauce, added lemon and orange zest and fresh blueberries along with the the bananas. Made 2 large. Muffins yuuumm,y!
Should have been: Made 12 muffins
This is my go to recipe for banana bread. I can count on it being moist and delicious every time I make it. Thanks!!!
So good! I think I may have mashed the bananas too much though – I put them in a blender till they were practically banana juice and the resulting bread was pretty thick. How much do you mash bananas normally? I also only have a 7×4 loaf pan so i put the leftovers in a muffin pan and the tops carmelized beautifully~
I usually just mash with a fork until they are mostly mashed but still just very lightly lumpy.
I’ve made this banana bread twice now and both times it came out awesome. My company said it was the best banana bread they had ever had! First time, I made as recipe shown, subbing butter for the oil. Second time, I used 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 applesauce and added 1/2 cup chocolate chips. This recipe is a keeper!!
Hi I wanted to go eggless for this recipe
What are the variations for other ingredients I can use..
Thanks
Nithya
My husband likes the inclusion of raisins in his dessert breads so although this recipe is very good I found that with the raisins the bread too sweet. The next time I will add 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup. Really enjoyed the simplicity of this recipe.
Fantastic Recipe! Came out as it looked in the pictures! Very Moist and visually appealing. Really recommend using this recipe. Love the information on the darker bits.
It was yummy and I used yogurt instead of sour cream also added nutmeg too cuz I like that flavor alot Great recipe!
I was given a recipe similar to this one & it was a disaster. The recipe called for 1 1/2 sugar much too much and oil. I don’t like to mix that much sugar with oil. I will try it again with 1/2 C sugar and butter instead of oil. Would that be 1 Stick of butter (soft)? I think butter & sugar would mix better. And the time to bake it was 350 45 mins. The knife was sticky when I tested it after baking and the top was all much too crusty and much too sweet. What do u think of this??. And 1/2 cup sour cream instead of 1/3 cup
Just made this-this morning…..YUM!!!! I doubled it, used 3/4 sugar, coconut oil and substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Your blog completely changed my kitchen and meals when I found it 8 or 9 years ago! Thanks for having such FANTASTIC recipes!
This is another keeper!! Delicious and so easy!! Thank you, thank you!
Love this recipe, the only thing I added was chopped pecans. All the ingredients are very simple and the result is a delicious moist banana loaf bread. Thank you for sharing.
A long time ago I lost my recipe that was made with sour cream. I have tried several over the years and this is by far the best one I have ever had. The slight crunch on the top crust was pretty amazing. I don’t like nuts in my banana so this was perfect! Highly recommended! Great job!
Baked into 12 mini muffins and 6 regular muffins and turned out great. I cut the sugar to: scant 1/4 cup white and scant 1/4 cup brown. Used just shy of 1/2 cup of applesauce (to clear it out of the pantry) with the rest canola oil. Also added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to batter and sprinkled chopped walnuts on top. Toddler gobbled up two mini muffins and almost a whole regular one! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you Mel.
Love this recipe! I used 1/2 cup sugar and no eggs and it was still delicious!
If I use apple sauce in place of oil is it the same measure?
Yes.
This will be my new go to recipe. I loved that it was simple and still gave me amazing tasting bread. This is the second recipe from this site I have tried and they both were big hits.
The only banana bread I make now! Other than some occasional addition of chocolate chips, there is nothing I would change.
Best banana bread I have had went over well with family.
Well add another *great review* to your addition
Absolutely awesome B.B.
Even the teenagers scooped some up and asked for more
That’s it all gone
Will have to make 2 at a time lol xo
wrost recipe they didn’t come out of pan
Dough was very runny i follow recipe to t taste good moist though
Try again my dear
It will be worth it
strange it was runny…maybe sour cream needed stirring before adding?
I’ve been baking for nearly 50 years and this is the best banana bread recipe ever. My husband is a bit picky and he LOVES it! If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can do as I did and substitute Fage plain Greek yogurt. It comes out moist and beautiful. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.
I used buttermilk cause I had no sour cream
The results were awesome as well
Has anyone ever did this recipe as muffins? If so, are there any changes that need to be made to the recipe?
I am right now and I’d say no..I’m working with a toaster oven and little regular size tins. I added cinnamon and raisins and cranraisans. Don’t think its the “best” I’ve had but its a good recipe.
This bread is delicious & so moist. I did use 1/2-1/2 brown sugar & white sugar.
Thank you for this yummy recipe.
loved it was moist and rich not to mention very easy to make took very little time will make again and again love how simple
I am type 2 diabetic and I try to create lower sugar recipes. For this recipe I substituted Stevia brown sugar 1 quarter cup , coconut sugar quarter cup, and fancy molasses quarter cup. In place of oil I used Besel quarter cup.i used 4 very ripe bananas and 2 cups of flour.followed the rest from the recipe and put into 10 mini loaf pans baked 30 min at 350. Turned out so moist and tasty! Thank you for a great recipe.
It is a very moist recipe. Bake it one day, then serve. Next day. Why is. It that I can’t publish my recipes on Pinterest. I have so many. My family is so diverse. We are Irish, Austrian, English, Cherokee and French.
Why is it, that, I can not publish recipes on Pinterest????
Someone tell me?
Thank you,
Cindy
2 nd time I’ve made this reciepe, only I used a quarter cup of sugar and replaced all the oil with an equal amount of sugar free applesauce, and used whole wheat flour.
TURNED OUT AS AMAZING AS THE ORIGINAL. I also prefer the darker bits in my bread like you spoke about. This has become my ‘go to’ for a perfect banana bread. I highly recommend it.
Thank you for this recipe, it came out amazing. Will definitely use this as my go to banana bread.
Seriously – the best banana bread I have ever made/had. I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream but this bread was moist 4 days after taking it out of the oven (and probably would have been moist up to 6 days if it lasted that long). Easy and awesome go to.
For years, I have been looking for a perfect banana bread recipe and I have finally found it !! Thank you !! Even when I thought I messed up on the ingredients (using slightly water plain yogurt because I had no sour cream), I was very pleased. This will be on my holiday “cookie” plate.
Forgot to mention – I replaced walnut oil for 1/2 of the recipe’s oil and 50% brown sugar for the sugar portion – both because I ran out of canola oil and white sugar. And the bread still came out fantastic .
This has become my favorite banana bread recipe, many raves.
Thank you for sharing
Can I use brown sugar instead? If yes how much? Tia
I’m not sure – I haven’t tried it, but you could definitely experiment!
Ok so I’ve made around 5 banana bread recipes and I’ve never found one that was the winner recipe for me…yesterday I made this one last minute and omg it’s the winner…by far the best bread I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s literally perfect and so easy. Everyone needs to try this recipe out. It’s flawless I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and it was so fluffy and moist …i can go on and on about it ….but just believe my word …its the best!
So happy to hear that, Mellisa!
I agree
This recipe sounds amazing. I love reading your blog but the advertisements every paragraph are getting annoying.
google has a thing called ad blocker — works no more adds ever
So good! Just made this for 2 people. Halved all but the baking soda. Used quarter cup whole wheat flour half cup all purpose. Put bout quarter tsp of pumpkin pie spice in also, added chopped pistachios (only nut i had)…and topped with white sugar mix with pumpkin pie spice. Cooked for 32 min on middle shelf in a glass pan. This came out perfect! Thank u for recipe!
I made this recipe and the Buttermilk Banana Bread within a couple of days of each other. There were a couple of slices of this one left when I made the other so we had a taste test. Of the six tasters in our home, four liked the buttermilk banana bread better. My son and I voted for this one. My husband said it was hard to pick a winner. They are both great recipes.
Love the side-by-side comparison, Kenna! Thank you!
I absolutely love this banana bread! Just made it last night and we pretty much ate about 3/4 of the loaf as soon as it didn’t burn us! I have to tell you I was so happy you brought this recipe back because I suspect this is my old lost in a moving accident along with the rest of our house belongings recipe. I had found my banana bread recipe somewhere in cyber space about 8 years ago. I printed it out but didn’t notice from where. When I lost it I tried finding it but just couldn’t find it because all I remembered about it was that it had sour cream and oil. I have been a loyal fan of your blog for the last 4-5 years but it never occurred to me that the old recipe might have come from your website all those years ago. The flavor is the same and I have since tried many recipes and none tasted as good so I’m just happy to have it again. I love all you post. Thank you!
Yay! Reunited with a favorite recipe. Nothing better!
Love this recipe, but I’m looking to substitute the flour for something healthier. In your notes you state that you, ‘use 50% whole wheat flour,’ what are you using for the remainder portion? Or are you just cutting the flour in half? I was thinking of trying 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp of coconut flour and adding an extra egg, but I wanted to see if anyone has suggestions on using coconut flour?
When I sub 50% whole wheat flour, I use 50% all-purpose flour. I’ve never subbed another type of flour – good luck!
Perfect every time! An not crumbly which is so important when it comes to little kids and making messes with banana bread!
We have a recipe similar to this that I use in our large bread maker and it even makes the long loaves that you get from a typical bread pan. We absolutely love it and seriously use it daily. I throw it all in and don’t have to worry about taking it out on time. I highly recommend it! Just barely my husband was just telling me how he can’t wait for this next loaf to come out.
This was so easy and sooooo good! I made muffins, no nuts for me and a loaf with nuts for my husband. He is very set in his ways and doesn’t like it when I try new recipes lol. I made one loaf with my regular recipe and one with this recipe. I did not tell him. We will see if he notices. I will report back. No matter what his preference is, I loved the rich banana taste and the lightness of the bread. This surprised me because I have always loved dark, heavy banana bread!
I’ll be excited to hear your husband’s verdict!
Been following you for about 6 years, and I still use almost exclusively just your recipes! By the way I talk about you, you would think we had met!! Thanks for helping us average cooks become rockstars in our own kitchens!
Haha, thanks so much, Amber!
My kiddos and I looove banana bread! This recipe looks and sounds delicious! I have made a ton of banana bread, but I get scared every time that I will go through all the trouble of mixing, baking, cooling, and then when I slice it………. goopy bottom! 🙁 🙁 I have thrown loaves in the garbage that were not done on the inside/bottom. How do you make sure it’s done all the way through every time? Thank you!
Hi Jenna – what type of pans are you using (light colored, dark nonstick, etc)? I usually take a thin paring knife and dip it right into the top of the bread about 1/4-inch (there’s usually a crack running right across the top) and if it comes out without any wet batter, I consider it done.
I am anxious to try this! My “go-to” is made with butter and cream cheese. It has a super light color to it, but an amazing flavor!!
It’s amazing!!!! Made it this evening and am helping myself to another slice as soon as I finish this comment!
Yay! Glad you loved it.
I’ve made both dark and light banana bread. My question is, have you made them at the same time? Do you notice a difference in taste? I don’t think I’ve ever made a bad loaf of banana bread -nuts, chocolate chips, dark, light, it’s all delicious!
That’s a great question! I haven’t ever made the two styles of banana bread side-by-side, but I think they both have great banana bread flavor!
The best, best, best topping for (any) banana bread is to spread/sprinkle a layer of brown sugar over the loaf before you put it in the oven to bake. Life changing, I promise.
Made loaves yesterday and today with a sprinkling of turbinado sugar across the top, but I bet the brown sugar has some fantastic flavor!
This isn’t a forgotten recipe for me! It’s my go-to banana bread! I like to get creative and to substitutions. It’s always great!
While I am looking for a banana bread recipe, today I was looking for a pumpkin bread recipe. I knew I wanted it to produce one loaf and to use one bowl. The more I searched, the more I wanted to find something similar to my favorite Yogurt Cake (http://orangette.net/2004/08/slow-roasting/#comment-67039). When I received the email about this recipe, I decided to check it out. It met all of my requirements — yields one loaf, uses one bowl and used the same amounts of flour, sugar, oil and sour cream/yogurt as my favorite cake.
I substituted pumpkin puree for the mashed bananas and used half brown sugar instead of all granulated sugar. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon. I was going to sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar, but forgot. I might add more spices next time (nutmeg, allspice, ginger?), but it’s very good.
One of the things I like about both this recipe and the Yogurt Cake is that they’re so adaptable. Even though I didn’t make the banana bread, I’m giving this recipe 5 stars.
I love both of your banana bread recipes, but I MUST add either chocolate chips or the milk chocolate covered Heath bits to my bread. YUM!
Hi ya Mel,
I have made this recipe many, many times (I have some in the freezer right at this moment) and it is moist and delicious. I divide it into mini-loaves (8-10 of them I believe) and 95% of the time, add semi-sweet chocolate chips. I have never added nuts, but one time I might just to see what it tastes like.
I read someone else’s comment asking how long to bake for mini-loaves and I think you were spot on with your answer of 25 minutes.
I think I’ll thaw some out for tomorrow’s breakfast 🙂
I’m new to this website and I thank you so much for such good food.
I haven’t made the recipe yet, but I’m so glad to find a banana bread recipe that doesn’t require yeast, because I’m allergic to yeast. I’m also allergic to eggs, however in some cases I can manage, AND THIS IS ONE!
I’m in the camp with the nuts — LOL! And I wouldn’t say no to a handful of mini chocolate chips, as well. Like a few other of your posters here, I had no idea that there was a recipe for a Golden Banana Bread, and although I’ve never tried it, I think that I would much prefer the more traditional recipe with the darker shade of Banana Bread and the dark flecks running through it. That said, I just recently discovered your website, and I love the recipes and am anxious to start making some of them. Please keep them coming!
Thanks, Valerie! I hope you enjoy any recipes you try. 🙂
Banana bread must have walnuts in my opinion. Many people have to have chocolate chips. That can be OK – especially if the bread itself is just so-so. But walnuts are a must for me. However, they are simple enough to add to any good banana bread, so I just might try this with some of my sour cream that needs to be used before it goes bad. Thanks for another great inspiration recipe.
I agree – you can usually throw nuts into any banana bread recipe with pretty good results (if you are a nut lover!).
I love this recipe! It’s my go to for banana bread. It’s super fast to make and easy to clean up after and tastes amazing. What else could you ask for? I definetly fall in the nuts in banana bread camp; the more the better for me 🙂
Love that! There’s room in this world for nut lovers and non-nut lovers alike!
How funny. I came to your blog to find this recipe posted! I literally made this yesterday!! So delicious!!
Glad you love it, Caroline!
I am for nuts, nuts, nuts! My mother always said there wasn’t much that couldn’t be improved by adding either nuts of bacon–or both. And I agree……..and this is one yummy bread. Thanks!
All you nut lovers! That’s awesome (I’ll leave all the nuts for you guys!).
I’ve been making banana bread since way back when I was in 4-H and my mom would make me “practice” making banana bread all the time when that was the required entry for the fair for 2nd year cooking. I didn’t know there was different types of banana bread but when I asked my daughter to make your buttermilk recipe a year or so ago when we had some extra buttermilk, that changed our world! 🙂 Thank you, we love it! And for nuts —- NEVER! They just change everything about the bread and not for the better! 🙂 I love your site!
Thank you!! Glad you love that buttermilk banana bread. It’s a keeper, too.
I’m in the “no nuts” camp. I also don’t like chunks of banana, so I whip up the bananas with an immersion blender. This has been my go-to banana bread recipe.
I kind of agree, I don’t love big sludgy chunks of banana either.
I love the color of this crumb and I LOVE how moist this loaf looks! Can’t wait to try it!
Your contributions to my family’s eatings is truly appreciated and very much is a gift. Seeing as eating is such an integral part of lives, you really add so much to our plate by sharing all you do. Thank you for all of it!
Thank you so much, Stacy!!
OMG I had no idea there was “light crumb” banana bread in the world! So I guess that tells you what my perspective is on what “real” banana bread should look like.
As for nuts, I take the Mounds/Almond Joy approach – sometimes I feel like a nut, and sometimes I don’t =P
Haha, that made me laugh
No nuts for me either!
I have a banana bread recipe that I have used and loved for years but this one caught my eye! When you say you use melted butter instead of oil, are you saying you just use only the melted butter or is that when you also use the applesauce as part of the oil? My recipe calls for all butter (but not melted) so wanted to get this clarified before I try it. I am definitely trying this though. I love your blog and have tried so many of your recipes.
(discovered it about 4 years ago….lucky me!) Oh, I usually put chocolate chips in mine cause that’s what my two grandsons love…..well, me too!)
Thanks, Char! Glad you love the recipes (and a double thumbs up to chocolate chips in banana bread!). When I use melted butter, I don’t sub in any oil (although sometimes I’ll still sub in half applesauce – so 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 cup applesauce). Does that help?
I say “no” to nuts, but “yes please” to a handful of chocolate chips!! Love your site and all your recipes.
Yeah, amen to that. 🙂
I LOVE this recipe! My brother, a tough critic, once told me I should make this bread and sell it… it’s that good! I like to spray my pan with cooking spray, then coat it in cinnamon sugar, and of course sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top before baking. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Wowser! Cinnamon and sugar crusted banana bread – could life get any better??
I saw someone mentioned your golden loaf version. What recipe would that be? I looked for one with that name but didn’t find it.
Thanks for all the hard wrk you do.
It’s this one: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/buttermilk-banana-bread/
I’m with you in the “no nuts” camp. I cannot enjoy banana bread with nuts. I am however, a light banana bread fan. I could eat your buttermilk banana bread every.single.day. If I had my way, I’d never make any other. But I happen to live with and love my dark, flecked banana bread preferring husband. So thank you for having the best recipes for us both. At least he hates nuts too. I wouldn’t budge on that one
Yeah, that buttermilk banana bread is something spec