Best Banana Bread Recipe
User Reviews
5
Best Banana Bread Recipe
Description
This banana bread begins by mashing ripe bananas and creaming butter, neutral oil, and sugars until light and airy. Eggs are added individually, followed by wet ingredients like buttermilk, sour cream, and vanilla for added moisture and flavor. Dry ingredients including flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt are gently combined with the wet mixture to form a batter without overmixing, which prevents toughness.
Before baking at 350°F (175°C), the batter is poured into a prepared loaf pan and sprinkled with brown sugar topping, which caramelizes during baking to create a sweet crust. Baking continues for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean but may retain some moist crumbs, indicating tenderness.
The resulting banana bread has a soft crumb with balanced sweetness and subtle tang from sour cream and buttermilk. It works well sliced for breakfast or an afternoon treat.
This bread freezes well, wrapped tightly to maintain freshness, and can be thawed overnight. Variations mentioned include adding chocolate chips, coconut and macadamia nuts, or walnuts to customize texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil canola or neutral oil, generic cooking oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 large egg
- 2 large banana mashed, ripe
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mash the Bananas. In a bowl, mash 2 large, very ripe bananas until mostly smooth.
- Combine Wet Ingredients. In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter, oil, brown sugar, and sugar for 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through for even mixing. Add in eggs, one at a time. Add mashed bananas, sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients In a separate bowl, whisk together -- flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Overmixing can lead to a tough banana loaf. For extra warmth, you may stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not raw batter. I suggest tenting a piece of foil over the bread pan, halfway through baking to allow it to cook fully in the center without getting too brown.
- Cool & Slice. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Run a knife along the sides to loosen the bread from the pan.
Notes
- Banana bread freezes well; wrap tightly and store up to 3 months for best texture.
- Store at room temperature wrapped to keep moist; refrigerate only if humidity is high.
- Enhance the basic loaf with chocolate chips, coconut and macadamia nuts, or walnuts according to preference.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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