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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Packed full of that cozy, comforting sweet banana flavor (with or without chocolate chips & nuts!).
Texture: Soft, moist, and tender, but NOT gummy. The best texture I’ve ever had from any quick bread!
Ease: SO easy! You don’t even need a mixer.
Why you’ll love this recipe: This will become your go-to recipe to end the search for perfect banana bread.
After countless tests, tweaks, and adjustments, I’ve finally discovered the very BEST Banana Bread Recipe.
This recipe is super easy to make, uses simple ingredients you may already have on hand, and you don’t even need a mixer. It yields an ultra-moist, tender texture and perfectly balanced flavor every time.
You get to choose if you want nuts, chocolate chips, both, or neither.
No dry, dense, or sunken loaves here!
Just check out two of the hundreds of 5-star reviews raving about this Banana Bread Recipe:
Reader Love
BEST Banana Bread Recipe EVER! I’ve been baking Banana Bread for 50+ years and this is my new standard! Thank you!
I knew this would be amazing, so made a double recipe. I’m so glad I did… it’s perfect. I added chocolate chips, since banana bread and chocolate chips are a must for me.
Key Recipe Ingredients
These are simple ingredients, but I chose them very carefully after many rounds of testing, so they truly matter!
Flour: Measure carefully. Too much flour = dense banana bread. I recommend weighing for accuracy. Learn how to properly measure flour here.
Brown Sugar and White Sugar: The brown sugar adds moisture and butterscotch flavor while the white (granulated) sugar helps to balances sweetness.
Cinnamon (Optional): Feel free to skip this, but I love the cozy warmth it adds.
Overripe Bananas: The darker and spottier, the better. They provide sweetness and a softer, more tender texture. See the Sprinkle of Science box below for more.
Sour Cream (or full-fat yogurt): This is the key to a moist banana bread recipe. It adds fat and acidity, which tenderizes the crumb and prevents dryness. Plain Greek yogurt works, but full-fat gives better results.
Butter and Oil: This offers the best of both worlds! Butter lends its incredible flavor, while oil helps keep the texture moist for days. Use any neutral liquid oil.
Eggs: Help emulsify the batter and create structure. To substitute, add 60g (1/4 cup) of extra sour cream or plain yogurt, plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Nuts or Chocolate Chips: Use either, neither, or both! Note that nuts will help produce a taller loaf because they add bulk to the batter. I like toasted walnuts, but you can skip toasting and/or use pecans instead. I also prefer semisweet chocolate chips for balanced sweetness.
How to Make Banana Bread (Step-by-Step)
Mash bananas. Make sure they’re overripe, and don’t overmash! I like to use a fork or potato masher.
Combine wet & dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid a rubbery or dense loaf.
Add mix-ins (optional). Add in nuts, chocolate chips, a combination of both, or neither.
Pour into pan. Line a 9×5-inch metal pan with parchment or foil, spray with nonstick spray, then pour batter in.
Bake & cool. Bake at 350°F for about 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the internal temperature reads at least 200°F.
Sprinkle of Science
When making Banana Bread, be sure to use very overripe bananas. They should be very soft and covered with dark brown speckles, for the best sweet flavor and the best texture.
The pan I recommend is a light-colored METAL 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Anything too dark in color will risk scorching the edges.
Glass and ceramic loaf pans will take MUCH longer to bake – upwards of 15 to 20 minutes extra. You also risk the banana bread collapsing and being underbaked or gummy in the middle. If that’s all you have, drop the temperature to 325°F and extend the baking time anywhere from 10-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the internal temperature registers at least 200°F.
This recipe was designed to bake in a 9 by 5-inch pan. I know that an 8 ½ by 4 ½-inch pan seems basically identical, but the difference in volume capacity is 15% and that has a surprisingly large impact on the final loaf.
If you use the smaller pan size, your loaf may spill over the edges and remain underbaked in the center. If you only have a smaller pan, withhold about 15% of the batter from the pan.
How to Bake Banana Bread Without Sinking or Collapsing!
- Follow my notes above for using the correct baking pan – both size and material matter!
- Make sure your oven is completely preheated. Wait at least 10 additional minutes after the preheated beep before baking to ensure it’s hot enough.
- Invest in an oven thermometer to see just how accurate your oven actually is. Read more about oven temperatures here.
- Be sure not to overmix the batter.
- Don’t underbake. More on this just below.
How to Tell When Banana Bread is Done Baking
Bake your Banana Bread until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers an internal temperature of 200 to 205°F and the probe comes out with clean (no batter or moisture attached).
This is the best and easiest way to ensure your loaf is perfectly cooked through, won’t sink, and also isn’t overdone.
Storage & Make ahead
To Store: Cool completely then cover and store at room temperature for 2 days. The flavors will actually intensify as the bread sits!
To Freeze: Tightly wrap the completely cooled loaf or slices in plastic wrap, then place in a ziptop bag. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature. If thawing an entire loaf, you can also refresh the by popping it into a 325°F oven for about 10 minutes.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (254 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) mashed overripe bananas, from about 3 large bananas*
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (142 grams) coarsely chopped toasted walnuts, or (170 grams) chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.**
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just barely combined. Gently fold in the walnuts or chocolate chips (if using), being very careful not to overmix. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake about 55 to 65 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or a digital thermometer inserted into the center reads 200-205°F. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan to finish cooling completely, before slicing and serving.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
To ripen in a couple days: Place bananas in a paper bag in a warm area for a day or two. The peels create ethylene gas, which fills up the bag and helps them ripen faster.
To ripen bananas today: Place whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the skins are darkened and the fruit is soft.
Yes! Thaw completely and drain excess liquid before using. I do this all the time.
If you have more overripe bananas than you need for this recipe, you can always peel and freeze them in a ziptop freezer bag for later. Simply thaw and bring to room temperature before using as instructed in the recipe below (drain excess liquid).
Mmm… yes! Add Cream Cheese Frosting or Buttercream Frosting to take this recipe to a whole new level.
We’ve all been there. You go to slice your cool loaf, only to discover it’s gummy and underdone in the center! Putting it back in the oven will only scorch the exterior before the interior can heat through.
Instead, place those slices on a buttered griddle and fry them up, kind of like French Toast. You can also do this with stale bread (if it lasts that long!). Add a little peanut butter at the end for the ultimate indulgence.
Accidentally over-measuring the flour, overmixing, and not baking the bread long enough are three common culprits. Weigh your flour (or spoon and level your measuring cups). Mix until just combined. Learn how to tell when banana bread is done baking here.
Fill the batter about 3/4 full into the cavities of two standard muffin tins (for a total of 24 muffins) and bake at 350°F for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Or, you can use my fluffy Bakery Style Banana Muffins recipe. Love nuts? My Bakery Style Banana Nut Muffins.
Grease pans and fill each about 3/4 full. This makes about 3 mini loaves, depending on your pan size. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 36 minutes, or until the tops are deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or the center reaches 200°F). Let cool in pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.
Whether you’re making the original size or mini loaves, let the bread cool completely outside the pans to prevent sogginess or overcooking from residual heat, then place them back in the pans for easy transport.
Yes! Omit the two eggs and add 60 grams (1/4 cup) of extra sour cream or plain yogurt, plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Yes! Readers have successfully used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
More Banana Recipes You’ll Love:
This post was originally published in 2012 and was updated in 2026 with new photos and baking tips. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Amazing recipe! I used chocolate chips! All the rave at work!
GRAND Love it
Can you omit sour cream and yogurt
Thanke
Hi Marlina! Sour cream/yogurt is one of the key ingredients that help make the banana bread moist, tender, and flavorful. Feel free to experiment without it, or with something similar in its place, but just note that this will alter the taste and texture of the final banana bread. Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
Hi Tessa,
URGENT QUESTION! Can I substitute brown butter with the melted butter?
And when measuring the butter, do I melt it first then measure or measure before melting it?
Hi Samantha! Yes, you can swap brown butter for melted butter, although it might require some experimenting, as explained in Tessa’s article ‘How to Brown Butter’ here. Since brown butter loses moisture during browning, try adding one tablespoon of water or milk per 4-ounce stick (113 grams) to the hot browned butter. This adjustment ensures that the weight and moisture content of the brown butter matches that of the melted butter required by the recipe. I hope this explanation helps, and happy baking!
Hi Tessa! I’m setting up to make the Banana Bread again this wkend. Do you have any advice on how to keep the ends from getting overcooked so the top middle isn’t undercooked? I took them out last time at 197° to see if that helped and the middle top (peaks) were soggy. I make 2 loaves at a time if that matters. I use the 9×5 Fat Daddio loaf pans.
Hi Chris! It’s hard to say for sure what’s happening without baking alongside you, but here are a few possible culprits:
– Make sure you’re not overfilling your loaf pan, as an overfilled pan can lead to uneven baking with a longer baking time in the center.
– Also, ensure your oven is completely preheated and that you’re baking your bread on the middle rack.
– Investing in an oven thermometer can help determine if your oven temperature is accurate, as it might be running too hot.
– Additionally, your oven might have hot spots, which can cause the edges to brown more quickly. You can try rotating your bread halfway through the bake time to promote even browning.
Learn more about ovens in Tessa’s Ovens 101 article here. I hope this helps! Happy baking!
I turned the pans a couple of times and it really helped. I really couldn’t put less batter in without wasting some as it’s the recipe and I follow it exactly.
I am wondering if reducing the sugar will be detrimental to the banana bread?
My hubby is T2 diabetes but the banana bread is his special work treat.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Chris! Wonderful – so glad that helped!! If you need to experiment with a little less batter in the pans, you can always bake the reserved batter as muffins, so you’re not wasting the batter 🙂 As for reducing the sugar, feel free to experiment with that, but it will unfortunately alter the texture of the banana bread, as well as the flavor. Learn more about that in Tessa’s experiments with sugar levels in cupcakes here, her experiments with sugar in cookies here, or with sugar in brownies here. I hope this helps! Happy baking 🙂
Would pecans substitute walnut okay ?
Hi Barbara! You can absolutely substitute pecans in this recipe – or you can give Tessa’s Butter Pecan Banana Bread recipe here a try instead. Enjoy and happy baking 🙂
I love this bread! I use 4 ripe bananas and substitute Chobani vanilla yogurt for plain yogurt, and add both 1/4 cup toasted walnuts and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Add about 10 minutes to bake time, its done when a knife inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Delicioius!
best homemade banana bread
My bread came out perfect 👌 after 65 minutes. Only thing is it’s registering 190 degrees. That’s not with a digital thermometer. Just your basic thermometer. I know they are not perfectly persistent all the time.
This recipe is Amazing, it will be my go to Banana Bread from now on Thank You.
This is the best homemade banana bread ever! It stays moist for days and is very delicious. Everyone who’s had some wants the recipe!
This was the BEST banana bread ever — moist-tasty-gone in a day! And there are only 2 of us!
Delicious! My favorite banana bread that I’ve made.