Description
This classic Banana Bread recipe yields a moist, flavorful loaf ideal for breakfast, snacks, or dessert. Made with ripe bananas, a touch of sour cream for tenderness, and a balanced mix of sugar and vanilla, it is baked to perfection with a golden crust and tender crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ¼ cups)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (or a combination of brown and granulated sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/3 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8½ x 4½ inch loaf pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can butter the pan and sprinkle with sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mix to add a caramelized crust. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt evenly to ensure an even rise and balanced flavor in the bread.
- Mash Bananas: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas using a potato masher, fork, or mixer. It’s fine to leave some small chunks for texture; the mixture does not need to be fully smooth.
- Add Wet Ingredients: To the mashed bananas, whisk in the sugar, eggs, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Combine and Transfer: Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture just until combined. Do not overmix as that can make the bread tough. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent burning.
- Cool: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Then invert the pan to release the loaf onto the rack and cool completely, about another hour or more, before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Using ripe bananas enhances sweetness and banana flavor.
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt adds moisture and tenderness to the bread.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense, tough bread.
- Adding a cinnamon-sugar topping before baking adds a sweet crust.
- Bread can be stored wrapped at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: banana bread, homemade banana bread, moist banana bread, easy banana bread, baking recipe
