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!
One of the best banana bread recipes ever, this bread has been a tried-and-true favorite for over a decade.
And you don’t have to take my word for it! With over 1,000 five-star reviews, it’s popularity speaks for itself.
Easy Banana Bread Batter
In this recipe, the wet ingredients get mixed up first:
- granulated sugar
- oil or melted butter
- eggs
- mashed bananas
- sour cream
- vanilla
Then the flour, baking soda and salt are added. No need to mix them first in another bowl.
This is a one-bowl batter, and it’s brilliantly easy.
Don’t Over Mix
As with all good quick bread recipes, one important key to this recipe is to mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Over mixing the batter could mean death to a lovely, soft, moist loaf of perfect banana bread.
Easily Doubled
This recipe makes one loaf of banana bread. But it is easily doubled, and I highly encourage you to do so.
In fact, I often buy several bunches of bananas just to let them ripen in destruction on my kitchen counter to prepare for this amazing recipe.
What Causes the Speckles in Banana Bread?
Have you ever wondered why some banana bread has dark speckles and others don’t?
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.
The reason? Baking soda.
Banana bread recipes that have a larger amount of baking soda and less baking powder usually have a darker, more speckled crumb. This sour cream banana bread has a full teaspoon of baking soda and no baking powder…and it clearly results in darker speckles.
This much lighter buttermilk banana bread only has 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (and a teaspoon of baking powder).
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.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to make a loaf of banana bread. One of my favorites for sure!
I make this banana bread recipe all the time and my family LOVES it. Once I accidentally left out the sour cream and vanilla (wasn’t paying attention I guess) and it still turned out great, but not as amazing as usual.
Serious? That is pretty awesome.
Giggled when I saw this repost today because I made this last night. So good and easy. I used vanilla yogurt because I didn’t have sour cream and didn’t add the extract then reduced the sugar to half a cup. Hard to mess this up and it is delicious- not dry at all. Your recipes are the best and that is why we have been loyal readers for almost ten years.
Hey, that’s great timing, Sheila! And thanks for your sweet comment and loyalty for all these years!
This is SOOOO good. Like eat the whole dang thing in one day kinda good. Oops! Will definitely save this recipe to use over and over. We added mini chocolate chips which took it over the top! Yum!
Fantastic recipe. Brought it to work to share with staff members. They are now requesting I “bring it in again, please”! So I am baking more right now.
Absolutely the best! Will not use another recipe. I added a few crushed walnuts, thats all.
Excellent recipe. Very moist. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon. Half a teaspoon of Angostura bitters, 1/8 cup Creme de Banana and one cup walnuts.
Divine give this recipe five stars!!!
Just made your banana bread recipe, smelling good. Very easy to mix up.
Thank you for the new recipe
I tried it this weekend. It was moist and light. I’ll be trying it again this coming weekend.
I’ve stopped trying banana bread recipes, as this is now my favorite. It’s consistently moist and dense. I don’t mix after adding the to the oil and sugar…only stir. I love the chunkiness of the bananas that way, and it keeps the gluten from setting up and changing the crumb of the finished product.. Also, I used closer to 3 1/2 C of bananas. I bake in a bright 8 x 4 pan, so I bake it for 60-65 minutes since it’s deeper. Try topping this with browned butter icing…oh My!
I mixed this recipe up twice and now putting both loaves in the oven. How long should I cook them? Had to double up as we are preparing for the storm here in Tampa.
You can bake them according to the time in the recipe (even if there are two loaves in the oven). Stay safe!
I just made a loaf of your sour cream banana bread. I added pecans and it was delicious! I have made several different banana bread recipes and this was by far the best I have ever tasted! Will deffinatly make again. Thanks for sharing!
Could I make these in cupcake pans?
I’ve never tried it, but I think that would work!
Has anyone tried subbing applesauce in for the oil? I know sometimes recipes offer this alternative and am wondering if it might work here? Thanks! 🙂
I used half applesauce and half oil came out great!
The most moist banana bread I have ever made and I have tried many! This will definitely become my go-to recipe!
I have made this many times and it is my favorite- I make 3 mini loaves and sometimes add chocolate chips. Fantastic recipe!!!
This is honestly the best banana bread recipe. I’ve made different recipes for years and this by far is now my only recipe! Stays super moist in fridge for almost a week! My pregnant daughter couldn’t get enough of it! Lol
Best banana bread ever. I used virgin oil and reduced the sugar. It came out just perfect, fluffy and moist. This will be my go to recipe now.
My family and I love this! Turns out nice and moist. Very delicious.
Every time I make banana bread, the outside always gets very brown but the inside isn’t cooked. How do I fix this problem?
Try lowering the temperature of your oven 25 degrees and use a pan that is light coated (not dark or nonstick coated).
I tried this recipe for the first time this morning! It turned out great! I used a mini muffin pan and cooked for around 20 minutes. For the sugar I used a little less than the total amount and also used half brown sugar and half reg sugar. I also added a tiny splash of maple syrup! Yum! I’d prob cut the overall sugar a little bit more than I did this time next time.
Great recipe! I added semi-sweet chocolate chips! Delicious!
Happened across this recipe in Pinterest. Have been wanting to try my hand at banana bread and this looked easy enough. The only thing I did differently was use melted ghee instead of oil. All I can say is, its two days later and I need to make another batch! Made mini loaves to take to work as an afternoon pick me up. These were so moist and fluffy!! Thanks for the recipe.
Melted ‘ghee’ instead of oil. What is ‘ghee’?
Ghee is clarified butter (butter without any of the solids).
Have this in the oven now and it looks great. Only problem is its been in for an hour and 10 so far and still raw in the middle so im leaving it in to cook. It looks pretty brown on top so hopefully it doesnt burn. Any idea why it’s taking so long? I made one large loaf.
Sometimes it can depend on each individual oven (or the type of pan you bake it in). Hope it worked out!
I LOVE this recipe! If I used my brownie pan, would it be the same baking time?
I’m not familiar with a brownie pan – does it have little squares? If so, the baking time would be much less – probably 15-20 minutes?
This banana bread is fantastic!! One question, any idea how to make it a little more dense? I cannot seem to get my banana breads to be as dense as the stuff I buy at store bakeries. Any ideas?
I’m not really sure, Becky…I kind of like banana bread light and fluffy myself. You might try adding more flour??
This recipe is amazing! Found it on yummly as I didn’t have any butter and had an overabundance of ripe bananas, so I needed one calling for oil…added half a cup of chocolate chips and wow! So moist! Sharing!!
Hi. I want to make this but only have olive oil and coconut oil. Do I need to use veg or canoma to get a good result?
Also, please give me the link to your buttermilk banana bread everyone is raving about. I have lots of brown bananas.
I would use coconut oil (melted) over olive oil. Here’s the link to the banana bread: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/buttermilk-banana-bread/
I made two batches of this recipe—one with butter and one with coconut oil. Both were yummy, but for whatever reason, the coconut oil version turned out taller…if that makes any sense. I had everyone taste test the two versions and 100% of the votes went to the coconut oil version. Which SO works for me because I can save the extra minutes a butter version requires.
Reading the comments, I see that I’m not alone in trying every banana bread recipe I can get my hands on. It seems that that fun has just ended because this recipe is IT.
Interesting about the coconut oil, Lorene!
Thanks for the recipe. Have made this a number of times over the past couple of years. Yummy every time.
Tried this today, it’s a wonderful recipe so moist and delicious, I only had light sour cream but it did not affect the taste, didn’t change anything else and it was done when checked at 50mins. Thank you so much Mel for this recipe 🙂
What size loaf pan did you use?? 8×4 or 9×5… Not sure what the standard is. THX!!!
A 9×5, or 3 small loaf pans will work great.
I have tried to make banana bread more times than I can count. It always turns out rock hard on the outside and literally raw on the inside. I made this recipe exactly as written, save for the fact I used a muffin tin instead of a loaf pan. Absolutely delicious! Perfect texture and wonderful banana flavor. Could not keep my family away from them. Thank you Melanie!
Yay!
So excited to try this! It’s in the oven now and it smells delicious. I didn’t have sour cream but I used 2% greek yogurt instead. Hopefully I didn’t mess it up! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Just doubled and made two. Have not tried yet…just out of the oven. I am just wondering if anyone has any tips as to why whenever I make ANY banana bread recipe…I always need to cook longer than the time says, and even still, sometimes the top middle never cooks. I ended up turning temp down to 325 after a bit (after the 1st 60 mins) and covering top lightly with foil b/c was getting too dark. Any ideas why? I even measured the bananas b/c before I know I was heavy handed with that! Tx
Hi Maria, I had the same problem for ages, so I bought a thermometer for inside my oven, which showed me that my oven consistently runs about ten degrees lower than I set it. I now set the temp about ten degrees higher than the recipes call for and it seems to help. Putting foil over the top of the loaf toward the end of cooking time might keep it from getting too dark while the middle cooks. Good luck!
This banana bread is so yummy and moist! So delicious toasted for breakfast the next day!
Hi Mel, I’m just learning baking and I know how precise it should be, I would just like to ask regarding this instruction: “Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened”.. When you say, “just until dry ingredients are moistened, does it mean it’s normal to have flour lumps? Or should I stir until all lumps are gone? I really don’t want to over mix. Or does it really matter?
Anyway, I really love your website!
Thanks!
Stir until you see the last streaks of dry ingredients disappear – then stop mixing. It’s ok if there are a few lumps.
Thanks for the response. I’ve tried this and the bread is just perfect! Thanks Mel!
I make this banana bread every few weeks because my family loves it. I added half a teaspoon of banana extract and a dash of cinnamon to the mixture as well. I also mash up the bananas like a puree with my fork.
I have made this several times using coconut oil, plain greek yogurt (instead of sour cream), and 1/4 cup sugar. Delicious every time!!
Mel, I just discovered your blog and am loving it! I made this recipe with Greek yogurt and added chocolate chips (and baked it in a 10 in cake pan). It was to die for!
Made this recipe this morning using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Still amazing! I have yet to make anything on your page that my family won’t eat. Thank you, Mel!
Perfect banana bread recipe! No adjustments needed. Thanks for this great repurposing for my icky mushy bananas. I’ll try the buttermilk version sometime too.
Very good! I used 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar to add a bit more depth, and the banana bread came out perfect. I have another superb sour cream-banana bread recipe that requires separating eggs and folding in egg whites, but it’s such a time-consuming process that I make it only about once a year. So this recipe is now my go-to quick banana bread recipe. Occasionally, I’ve had banana bread cravings when I’ve had only unripe bananas on hand, and found that putting them in a moderate oven for about 15-20 minutes ripens them perfectly for use in banana bread. Now, I try to be prepared, so whenever I have overripe bananas, I just seal them in a freezer bag and freeze them so I’m always just a quick defrost away from the makings for banana bread.
PT, I’m probably the only person who would ever ask, but it is my mission to try every banana bread recipe on Earth and I would love your complicated one with separating the eggs and whipping the egg whites. 🙂 My email is vraklis@yahoo.com if you’d like to share it with me!
I have made these many, many times. Thanks for the great recipe! I have put chocolate chips in before and this time I am trying coconut & chocolate on top.
Hi, Mel,
I surprised my husband before he went to work by leaving a goody bag for him in his car with a piece of the banana bread in it. This was his reponse to me via text: “Sweetie it was very, very good. However, the piece was too small for me to verify the true goodness that I was tasting. Thanks, again.” Wow, Mel! Thank you!!!!!!!
Mel, I made the banana bread with gluten-free flour last night but was only able to taste the batter. The batter was delicious!!!!!!! I have not tasted the bread yet, I will have it for lunch. But if the taste of the batter is any indication of how the bread itself will taste, then this banana bread is AWESOME!!!!! Thanks, Mel!!!! 🙂
I tried making this earlier today and it did not work at all. I was very sad:(. I’m a decent baker/cook and make bread frequently, I’m not sure what went wrong. I didn’t measure the banana, could too much banana cause a problem? It would just not cook and was so mushy in the middle. I love your blog! Some of our favorite recipes are yours!
I made this the other day with coconut oil….my new favorite banana bread. Thanks!!
This bread is my FAVORITE EVER! Also, LOVED the brown sugar on the top….wonderful addition! Wish I could just eat the top. 🙂
Thank you for the great recipe. Was cooking for 100 at YW Camp last week and the heat was taking its toll on the bananas. Your site was my go-to for a banana recipe and did not fail me. Made a 7x batch and had about 9 dozen muffins that were a huge hit.
Just linked back to you on my blog. Thanks so much for this fabulous recipe! It is a real keeper!